Small Jerboa / Kidik Koshayak / Small Five-toed Jerboa

Small Five-toed Jerboa

Status: VII category, Lower Risk/least concerned, LR/lc.

Distribution general and in the country. Northwest China, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan. Inhabits clay deserts and semi-deserts from the Eastern Caucasus to the Zaisan Basin. Recorded in all lowland areas of Central Asia and Kazakhstan, in the valleys of the Amu Darya, Vakhsh, Chu, Ili, in the Pribalhashye and other desert-like areas. The subspecies A.e.vinogradovi inhabits the Jambyl region (Kazakhstan), Chu and Talas valleys (Kyrgyzstan).

Habitat. Prefers clay relatively flat desert areas with sparse herbaceous and shrub vegetation. In the Chu Valley, it does not rise above the foothills of the Kyrgyz Range; in the Talas Range, the upper limit of its settlement reaches 2200 m [31]. It stays on plateaus, avoiding steep slopes. It does not live in forests, shrubs, marshy, plowed, or irrigated lands. In the western part of the Talas Valley, it has been registered in sandy areas with sparse chia bushes [31].

Population. A rare species, declining due to habitat development. In the Chu Valley, during counts from a vehicle at night over a 10 km route, 7 individuals were encountered; for the Talas Valley, these figures are 1.5-2 times higher [31]. Therefore, its population is low even in characteristic habitats.

Life style. (life cycles). Burrowing animals. Burrows can be permanent or temporary (permanent ones are located at a greater distance than temporary ones), connected by well-visible paths that are trampled by the animals [6,31]. It leads a nocturnal lifestyle, does not leave burrows during daylight. In the Talas Valley, it hibernates in the cold season, i.e., in the second half of October, waking up in the first decade of April [6,31]. In the Chu Valley, the timing of seasonal activity is extended due to a warmer climate (it burrows in late November, emerges from burrows in early March) [3]. In the Chu Valley, it begins to reproduce in March [3]. In the Talas Valley, reproduction occurs later - from April to August [6,31]. Some individuals produce two litters during the spring-summer period. The number of embryos is 2-5 [31]. In spring, it eats green parts of plants; in summer, the bulk of its diet consists of seeds, bulbs, tubers, and rhizomes of ephemerals and ephemeroids, as well as insects, caterpillars of cutworms, grasshoppers, ants, and others [3, 29, 30, 31].

Limiting factors. Development of animal habitats due to human economic activities: land plowing, irrigation, etc.

Breeding (keeping in captivity). Not conducted.

Existing conservation measures. Currently absent.

Recommended conservation measures. Preservation of characteristic habitats.

Kidik Koshayak

Small Five-toed Jerboa
Allactaga elater Lichtenstein (1825)
Status: VII, Lower Risk/least concerned, LR/lc. Occurs in Chu and Talas Valleys. Prefers clay plain desert spots with scarce grass and scrubs up to 2,200 m (2,200 feet) above sea level. There were 7 Jerboas registered from the car within 10 km census transect in Chu Valley; that figure is 1.5-2 times higher in Talas Valley. Lives in permanent and temporary burrows. Holes are well connected with Jerboa paths. Nocturnal animal, hibernates during the winter. Starts to mate in March in Chu Valley and later - in Talas Valley. Uses for food green parts of vegetation, seeds, bulbs, roots of ephemerals and ephemeroids. Insects are included in Jerboa’s food. Limiting factors are destruction of suitable habitats such as ploughing up and watering. No evidence on keeping them in captivity. Protection measures are not currently undertaken. It is recommended to conserve suitable habitats.