Bizarre rodent: The long-eared jerboa has super-sized ears that are bigger than its head. Its front legs are rarely used for locomotion and it hops like a Kangaroo. See below for the newly-captured videos of the jerboa.
Credit: Zoological Society of London
SYDNEY: The long-eared jerboa – a bizarre rodent resembling a miniature kangaroo, with a pig like snout and Dumbo ears – has been caught on film for the first time.
This zoological oddity is found in the deserts of China and Mongolia and is threatened by habitat destruction. Little is known about the species (Euchoreutes naso) due to its nocturnal nature and the harsh environment in which it lives, but researchers will use the new footage to discover more.
Despite being widely distributed, the animals are restricted to small patches within these areas.
One-of-a-kind
"They are a one-of-a-kind species that are believed to be on the verge of extinction," said expedition leader Jonathan Baillie, a conservationist with the Zoological Society of London in England.
"The long-eared jerboa is a bit like the Mickey Mouse of the desert, cute and comic in equal measure," added Baillie. "When people see [our] footage of this tiny threatened creature I am convinced they will want to get involved in its conservation."
The rodent has super-sized ears that are bigger than its head. Its front legs are rarely used for locomotion and it hops like a Kangaroo, said the researchers. During the day it avoids the hot, dry conditions of the desert by remaining in secure underground tunnels. It ventures out at night and feeds on insects.
The expedition that caught the footage was part of the EDGE program, which stands for Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered. EDGE's conservation efforts are focused on animals that are highly genetically distinct and have few close relatives.
"This is the first global-scale program specifically developed to focus on these one-of-a-kind and highly threatened animals," said Baillie.
