11. Arabian Jerboa, Jaculus (Jaculus) loftusi (Blanford, 1875)

(Fig. 15)

(IUCN Red List: LC)

Subspecies: J. l. syrius Thomas, 1922, was described from Al-Qaryatein. J. l. vocator Thomas, 1921 was reported from central Negev and Arabia (Harrison & Bates 1991; Mendelssohen & Yom-Tov 1999) hence it is possibly present also in Syria.

Distribution: Abundant in arid and semi-arid steppes of Al-Badia (Fig. 16).

Previous records: Al-Qaryatein (Thomas 1922), the northern Syrian Desert (Aharoni 1930), Deir ez-Zor (Atallah 1978), Palmyra (Harrison 1972), 100 km east of Damascus (Nadachowski et al. 1990), arid steppes of Al-Badia (Harrison & Bates 1991), Dura Europus, Qal’at er-Rahba, 12 km south of ar-Raqqa (Shehab et al. 2004), around Palmyra (Serra et al. 2009a, b), Jabal Al-Bishri and Al-Badia south of Deir ez-Zor (Aidek 2010) and Mhassa (Shehab et al. 2018).

Recent records: Al- Bolaiyah, 10 km south of ar-Raqqa, ar-Rasafah, Jabal Al-Bishri, ad-Dukhoul steppe, as-Sarayim, around Palmyra, Al-Qaryatein, an-Nasriyeh, az-Zimlah, Feidhat Ibn Muwyin’e, as-Sab’a Biar, ach-Chola, and Kabajep (2006–2023).

Remarks: This species was previously classified as the Lesser Egyptian Jerboa Jaculus jaculus by earlier authors, but it has been split into three cryptic species (Michaux & Shenbrot 2017). Jerboas from Palmyra show the mitochondrial makeup of J. loftusi (B. Kryštufek, unpublished data).