Scarturus (Paralactaga) euphraticus (Thomas, 1881)

10. Euphrates Jerboa, Scarturus (Paralactaga) euphraticus (Thomas, 1881)

(IUCN Red List: LC)

Distribution: Records of Scarturus cf. euphraticus are abundant along the Euphrates Valley, Mesopotamia, and in arid and semi-arid areas of Al-Badia, but the majority of them were not properly classified at the species level. The occurrence of S. euphraticus is probable in northern Syria (cf. Kryštufek et al. 2013), but still not confirmed ( Fig. 14 View FIGURE 14 ).

Previous records: Taxonomically unassigned records are available from Tell Abiad, Ain Al-Arous, Khneiz ( Misonne 1957), Al-Qaryatein and Palmyra ( Atallah & Harrison 1967), Qal’at er-Rahba and Jabal Al-Bilaas ( Kock & Nader 1983), ar-Raqqa, Buhayrat Al-Khatuniyah, Al-Hasaka ( Bauer 1988), Tell Sheikh Hamad ( Kock et al. 1994), Al-Qaryatein ( Shehab 2004a), Tell Al-Buderi, Qal’at er-Rahba, 12 km south of ar-Raqqa, ar- Rasafah (Shehab et al. 2004), Palmyra ( Serra et al. 2009a, b), Jabal Abd Al-Aziz ( Daoud & Khalil 2009c), and Najha ( Shehab et al. 2018).

Recent records: Jabal Abd Al-Aziz, 5 km east of as-Suwar, vicinity of Lake Al-Khatuniyah, ar-Rawda steppe, Al-Hjeifat, 5 km southwest of Al-Mayadin, ad-Dukhoul, Al- Bolaiyah, Al-Khraiteh, vicinity of ar-Raqqa, vicinity of ar-Rasafah, az-Zimlah, Feidhat Ibn Muwyin’e, Jabal Al-Bishri, around ach-Chola, around Kabajep, north of Maadan, around Palmyra, Mabroukah, Slouq, Abu Khashab, and an-netoliyeh (2006–2012).

Remarks: Referred to as Allactaga euphratica by earlier authors. The genus Allactaga has been taxonomically reorganized and the majority of species are now in the genus Scarturus . Scarturus euphraticus consists of two species, S. euphraticus sensu stricto and the newly recognized S. aulacotis (see distribution). Ellerman & Morrison-Scott (1951:532) did list Dipus aulacotis Wagner, 1840 in the synonymy of Allactaga major which lives to the north of line Black Sea—Caucasus—Caspian Sea— Kyrgyzstan; therefore, it is not present in the Middle East. For reasons which are not explained, Ellerman & Morrison-Scott suspected Wagner’s locality to be “obviously erroneous”. We do not share this opinion. Wagner (1840) published material collected by von Schubert in Egypt and Palestine.