Dwarf Fat-tailed Jerboa

About this species

Size

Head and body 9–12cm; tail 11–18cm

Weight

35–50g

Diet

Roots and tubers, partly stored in the burrows

Habitat

Central Asian steppes; nocturnal, living in burrows

Range

Steppes from the Don across Kazakhstan to Inner Mongolia

The dwarf fat-tailed jerboa, also called the tabargan, is a small jerboa with a head-and-body length of 9–12 centimetres and a tail of 11–18 centimetres, weighing 35–50 grams. The very long tail ends in a conspicuous tuft, dark with a white tip. The hind feet are developed into strong jumping legs, with the two outer toes reduced. The fur is beige-brown above and white below. It is disputed whether the species belongs to the subgenus Alactagulus within the fat-tailed jerboas or whether that forms a genus of its own. (German Wikipedia, general species account)

It lives in the steppes of Central Asia, from the Don across Kazakhstan to Inner Mongolia. The nocturnal animal digs burrows: some are temporary refuges, but there is always a permanent one, with a tunnel up to six metres long leading to a nest chamber 30–70 centimetres below the surface, padded with plant material. Food is roots and tubers, partly stored in the burrows, and breeding takes place between March and September. (German Wikipedia, general species account)

Description: Wildlife of Mongolia guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)