mongolian jerboa
Zoological society films Mongolian jerboa
By Roger Highfield, Science Editor Last Updated: 12:01am GMT 10/12/2007
Previously unseen footage has been captured of an endangered rodent which looks like a cross between a big-eared mouse and a kangaroo.
The Zoological Society of London has released the film in a bid to highlight the plight of the long-eared jerboa, a mammal that lives in the deserts of Mongolia and China.
The species is classified as endangered as a result of poor rainfall, mining and agricultural sites in the desert, where the little water that is available is often used for livestock, mining and to grow crops.
ZSL researchers were lucky to film individual jerboas in their natural habitat and study the behaviour of the creatures, which use their large ears to listen for the insects they hunt at night.
The footage was taken during an expedition to the Gobi desert to track down and assess the species led by Dr Jonathan Baillie, head of field conservation.
The team has taken the first footage of the creature digging its burrows, revealing how it shuts the entrance to keep cool during the day.
Dr Baillie said: "The long-eared jerboa is a bit like the Mickey Mouse of the desert, cute and comic in equal measure.
"Unfortunately, it is just one of many unusual animals that are highly threatened but receiving little or no conservation attention. This is the most amazing and remarkable creature."
The animal has been sighted in China and in 10 localities in the Trans Altai Govi Desert and Alashan Plateau in Mongolia, while the only captive long-eared jerboa died earlier this year in a German zoo.
学名はEuchoreutes naso。動画はこちら。
