Hotson's jerboa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hotson's jerboa |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Allactaga
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| Species: |
hotsoni
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The Hotson's jerboa is also known as the Iranian jerboa. Its scientific name is Allactaga hotsoni. This small, hopping animal is a type of rodent. It belongs to the Dipodidae family, which includes jerboas and jumping mice.
You can find Hotson's jerboa in countries like Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.
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Discovering the Hotson's Jerboa
A British zoologist named Oldfield Thomas first described the Hotson's jerboa in 1920. He gave it the name Allactaga hotsoni.
He named it after an army officer and naturalist, John Ernest Buttery Hotson. Mr. Hotson collected many plants and animals. He found these specimens in a region called Balochistan between 1915 and 1920.
He sent the small mammals he found to Oldfield Thomas for study. Another animal, Hotson's mouse-like hamster, was also named after him.
Where Hotson's Jerboa Lives
Hotson's jerboa makes its home in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and eastern Iran. It lives in places that are between 200 and 1,500 meters (about 650 to 4,900 feet) above sea level.
Its favorite places to live are gravel and stony deserts. It also likes mountain areas with very few plants.
Life and Habits of the Hotson's Jerboa
The Hotson's jerboa is a shy animal that lives alone. It is active mostly at night, which means it is nocturnal. It digs long tunnels in the hard ground to live in.
These tunnels can be different types:
- Temporary burrows: These are short tunnels with a few entrances and one room.
- Breeding burrows: These are longer and have more tunnels and entrances. They include a special nest room about 30 centimeters (12 inches) underground. This is where the jerboa raises its young.
- Winter burrows: These have one long tunnel, usually flat. The single room is deep underground. The jerboa uses this burrow to hibernate during winter.
This jerboa eats seeds and desert plants. Some of its favorite plants are Artemisia aucheri, Anabasis aphylla, and Peganum harmala. It stores pieces of stems and leaves in special rooms inside its burrow.
Scientists have found that the jerboa is more active when the moon is not shining brightly. It is also very active at the beginning and end of the moon's cycle. This might be a way for it to avoid predators. Because it hops on two legs and lives in open areas, it needs to be careful.
Conservation Status
The Hotson's jerboa lives across a wide area. It is believed to have a large total population. We don't know if its numbers are going up or down.
However, there are no big threats to this animal. Its desert home is not good for farming, so people don't try to change it much. Any drop in its population is likely to be small.
Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says the Hotson's jerboa is a "least concern" species. This means it is not in danger of disappearing.
