an integral part of nature is a rich fauna of our planet.In the forests, steppes and deserts inhabited by brothers our smaller - various warm-blooded mammals.They need caring for and protecting themselves from poachers.Only in this case, the next generation will be able to contemplate the amazing fauna of the earth.
Today we tell about the coney - one of the funniest representatives of the largest order of mammals, "rodents".
Habitat
dipodidae - a rather large family of rodents;They live on almost every continent.Namely, in the steppes and semi-deserts of the Palearctic.Under the latter refers to the following geographic regions:
- South Europe.
- Asia north of the Himalayas, excluding Arabian Peninsula.
- North Africa down to the south of the Sahara.
This section succinctly answers the question of where he lives jerboa.
Appearance
Jerboa - a small rodent, reaching a length of 4 to 25 cm (depending on species).It features a small body and a long tail with a brush.The funny thing is that sometimes the tail is long torso.Brush also serves as a rudder when the long jump - it is such a funny way animal moves.
muzzle coney rounded downwards.She clearly distinguished two large eyes and two long ears.Also interesting, and rodent teeth: their number varies between 16 and 18 pieces, depending on the species, but the severity of canine common to all members of the family.
Color rodent presented a rich palette of brown - from copper to beige.It depends on the color of the soil of the natural area, chosen for animal life.For example, the steppe jerboa will have a light brown fur.Color exactly matches the color of soil, inherent in this band.Jerboa in the desert will be more red to blend in with the endless sands, leaving the horizon.
wise nature thus ordered to protect small animal from predatory birds.
strengths and weaknesses gerbils
Description coney unthinkable without focusing on its external features of interest.
These rodents developed the following organs:
- hind legs.All 26 species of gerbils have very strong hind legs.It was with their help animal can as fast and fun to jump.
- Ears - big and long, clearly catching all the sounds of the desert starry night.
- Moustache - the length reach to toe.The most important organ of touch these small mammals.
That the above bodies are vital to gerbils.Due to the ears and whiskers small creature feels the approaching predator, and strong legs help rodent quickly escape to a cozy burrow.
But eyesight and sense of smell are poorly developed in gerbils.
similarity with the rat-a foodie
typical jerboa is remarkably similar to a fun animated character Ratatouille.He is as quick, intelligent and immediate.Watch the life of this rodent is no less interesting than watching a fascinating cartoon Brad Bird.
way, strongly recommend everyone to see "Ratatouille" in the original.The film is full of kindness, subtle humor and culinary delights.Food lovers will be delighted!
bright-eyed and shy nocturnal inhabitants of the desert
This chapter tells about the life of gerbils in the wild.These amazing rodents are certain lifestyle, consider its features:
- apart.Jerboa walk by themselves and come together only for reproduction.
- awake at night, and by day rest in burrows.
- not like to take risks.Small and nimble creature never get out of their homes without having to, because he knows how dangerous and cruel fauna.
- are excellent diggers.This skill is necessary for construction of underground dwellings.Very often rodent faces pressed soil which forepaws not razgrebesh.In this case, in the course are sharp front teeth.In this example, we can again see the how harmonious and correct Mother Nature.
underground dwellings
These small rodents are great builders and just love to build a cozy mink.Jerboa build underground dwellings, using sharp teeth and powerful forelegs.They break through the underground tunnels, sometimes reaching up half to two meters deep.It is at this distance and arranged warm nest gerbils.They are made of wool, down, moss and dry leaves.Cozy abode builds himself jerboa, only confirms this picture.
Dwellings in gerbils are:
- time.
- constant.
The latter, in turn, are divided into:
- Summer.
- Wintering.
temporary housing gerbils are more simple and are located at shallow depths.Permanent hole, in contrast, is deep.Stroke it can be up to six meters, as well, in addition to the main maze, rodent necessarily make additional branches to exit.
science knows and occasions gerbils in abandoned burrows of ground squirrels.Sony
Winter and spring Lovelace
For all gerbils characterized hibernation.It empties into it with the onset of the first autumn cold (around October).Vacationing in rodent burrows for about four months.However, sometimes wake up for a short period of time.Typically, this svyazyno a sharp warming.
thoroughly mastered and sleep off the calories accumulated during the summer, jerboa is ready to reproduce.This spring - mating season for these rodents.It ends the 25-day pregnant female woodcocks.On average, she is born from 3 to 6 pups.Eighteen months small rodents enjoy the care of the mother.At the end of this period, they leave the nest and go into adulthood.
The jerboa is fed in the wilderness?
These rodents are omnivorous animals.However, the greatest preference is given to plant-derived food.True delicacies are various seeds, shoots and roots.Do not give up on the rodent and nutritious seeds of watermelons, melons and cereals.If the night rodent could not find the life-giving oasis of green vegetation, it may well be content with insects and their larvae.
more interesting by the fact that the hyrax is not drinking water.It is enough juice of the plant, which it eats.This section answers the question, what to eat in the desert jerboa.
Predators and natural facts that destroy gerbils
clear that the danger may be desert animals.Coney avoid:
- Reptiles.
- large mammals.
- Birds of prey (eagles and hawks).
also anthropogenic factor strongly affects the population of gerbils.With the development of new natural areas a person (for example, the construction of houses vysokoetazhnyh), and reduced the habitat of rodents.
This again suggests that the person is obliged to take into account the surrounding wildlife.
Types gerbils
Lizards, snakes, prairie wolves and tropical insects - a typical desert animals.Jerboa is also a resident of the place.
scientists has 26 different types of mammals (where jerboa lives, read on).In our country, these rodents live in the steppes and semi-deserts of southern Siberia.Their natural habitat captures Altay, Baikal and southern regions of the republic of Tuva.
We will analyze the most interesting representatives of the family of gerbils, including the species living on the territory of Russia.Also tell you what to eat in the desert jerboa more detail.
long-eared jerboa
Dweller northern regions of China - Xinjiang and Alanashi.Sometimes it occurs in the south of Siberia.It is clear that the problems with the transition gerbils boundary occurs.
The length is 9 cm, has a very long ears and a mustache.Recent often reach the ground.The tail of this coney body length, and at the end of the brush has a rounded shape.Animal fur color is gray with a reddish tint.Boca and white belly and tail brush - black.That is so funny
coney can be found traveling the amazing Altai Territory.Exclusively at night.
five-toed pygmy jerboa
until recently was exclusively an inhabitant of the Gobi Desert.But in 1961 a group of Soviet biologists, led by Danilo Berman discovered this kind in the south of the Republic of Tuva.
Jerboa quite small in length up to 5 to 6 cm. The tail also is larger than the body and is 8 cm. The eyes of the pygmy jerboa typically large, and ears, in contrast, are small.Hind legs have five fingers and is very well developed.
five-toed pygmy jerboa are nocturnal.Mink build in the spring at a shallow depth.Sometimes it can borrow from the home of his brother - Siberian jerboa.
The jerboa is fed in the wilderness?A favorite delicacy - seeds feather.In the absence of the add content insects.
great jerboa (earth hare)
largest representative of this family of rodents.The length can be up to 26 centimeters.It features an animal with a long tail pretty brush shaped like an elongated droplet.Painting allactaga light brown skin tone varies depending on the habitats of rodent.
Recognized as the most northerly jerboa on habitats.Most often, it can be found in the steppes of Kazakhstan and southern Siberia;a little less - along the southern tributaries of the Kama and the Oka.Even residents of the Crimea is sometimes seen allactaga, pick up a mouth-watering meal of rye or wheat seeds to the territory of some remote farm.
earthen hare - a graceful and beautiful jerboa.Photo speaks for itself.
Jerboa-jumper
This rodent is slightly inferior to the size allactaga.Its length is 19 to 22 centimeters.Fur from Springbok or ocher-brown or yellowish-gray.It feeds on seeds, green parts of plants and bulbs as well - insects.
Habitat - sandy deserts and steppes of Central Asia (South-Eastern Altai and North Uzbekistan).Often lives in the mountains at an altitude of up to two kilometers above sea level.Sometimes it is called steppe jerboa.
stylodipus
Oddly enough, but this is also a nice little animal hyrax.Animal very small - grows up to 12 centimeters.The tail, as always, exceed the length of the body and reaches 16 centimeters.
from all other species of gerbils characterized in that lives in clay steppes and stony deserts.However, sometimes it occurs on sandy soils.
This rare species is distributed in the territory of Russia.He dwells in the Dnieper, in the south and the Volga river near the Irtysh.Also, some animals of this species inhabit the steppes of Kazakhstan.
pet or nocturnal inhabitants of the desert?
course, coney can be kept as a pet.
But is is true desert dwellers happy in a locked cage?Nature endowed coney powerful hind legs so that he could jump and run in the wild, hunting for insect larvae and search for nutrients stalks (coney description given above).Lockdown he will not be able to realize their natural needs.Therefore, the answer is obvious - the correct place of residence coney, certainly wildlife.
Interesting facts:
- running exclusively on two hind legs.
- running away from a predator, has a top speed of 40 km / h.
- This CHISTYULYA, not like some erectus!During the night an amazing animal takes care of his fur from 20 to 30 times.
- Certain gerbils are so petite that can easily fit in a tablespoon.
- During the day, the rodent self-regulates body temperature.Sometimes swings up already 15 degrees!This is due to a very large difference between day and night temperatures in the desert.For example, in the Negev (a desert in the Middle East) during the day can be + 30, and at night all + 9 That is why desert animals perfectly adapted to large fluctuations in pressure and temperature.
- excess fat accumulated in the tail of the animal.That it is possible to judge the health of a particular coney.
World gerbils interesting and multifaceted.We have considered only a small part of the interesting features of these funny animals.Nature has generously endowed gerbils necessary skills that help them to survive in a cruel, but surprisingly interesting world deserts.
