Strange, rare nocturnal animal caught on video

Posted by David Pescovitz, December 10, 2007 10:06 PM |
Media Images 44284000 Jpg 44284741 Jerboa 416203
For the first time, researchers captured video of this endangered little nocturnal mammal, the long-eared jerboa. Zoological Society of London (ZSL) scientist Jonathan Baillie led the team that collected footage of the elusive creature in Mongolia's Gobi desert. From the BBC News:
"These creatures hop just like a kangaroo; it is amazing to watch. Little hairs on their feet, almost like snow shoes, allow them to jump along the sand," (Baillie) explained.

"And in terms of mammals, they have one of the biggest ear-to-body ratios out there..."

"The long-eared jerboa is a bit like the Mickey Mouse of the desert, cute and comic in equal measure," Dr Baillie said...

"These amazing, remarkable creatures are on the verge of extinction and we know almost nothing about them."
Link (Thanks, Vann Hall!)
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Discussion

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#1 posted by jplkeekif , December 10, 2007 10:48 PM

Haha, I was about to post the same thing. Gotta love the huge ears on them

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#2 posted by Learethak , December 10, 2007 11:19 PM

Wait wait wait.

If they know almost nothing about them how do they know they are on the verge of extinction?

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#3 posted by jay smooth Author Profile Page, December 10, 2007 11:25 PM

"a bit like the Mickey Mouse of the desert, cute and comic in equal measure"

right, except that Mickey Mouse wasn't very cute, and rarely comic. :)

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#4 posted by pepsi_max2k Author Profile Page, December 11, 2007 1:50 AM

these are the cutest things EVER! topped my christmas list straight away :oD

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#5 posted by Fraser Dron , December 11, 2007 3:29 AM

Mickey Mouse WAS 'cute and comic in equal measure' - but the measure was paltry.

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#6 posted by Gilbert Wham , December 11, 2007 4:05 AM

Yes, but can it fly with those ears?

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#7 posted by jeffthechef , December 11, 2007 5:26 AM

"We call that one, Muad'Dib"

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#8 posted by stupidguy , December 11, 2007 7:17 AM

Seconding the Muad'Dib. You beat me to it. Darn you LIFE!

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#9 posted by mr_tumnus001 , December 11, 2007 7:18 AM

Known as Jerboa on Earth, some might recognize it as the Muad'diB of the planet Dune. (Frank Herbert loosely based the Muad'diB, from which Paul Atreides dakes his Fremen name in the classic book Dune).

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#10 posted by techiepage , December 11, 2007 7:45 AM

"a bit like the Mickey Mouse of the desert, cute and comic in equal measure"

right, except that Mickey Mouse wasn't very cute, and rarely comic. :)

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#11 posted by anthropomorphictoast , December 11, 2007 7:51 AM

D'aww, it's cute! Almost looks like a Pikachu. ^_^

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#12 posted by millionpoems , December 11, 2007 8:26 AM

Paging Marianne Moore...

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#13 posted by rblakem , December 11, 2007 10:27 AM

Those are some ears. Maybe they aren't on the verge of extinction... but they just always hear us coming. Kind of looks like the evil cousin of the sugar glider.

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#14 posted by jamesotron , December 11, 2007 11:35 AM

Dr Baillie should consider himself lucky that he hasn't been sued by Disney for trademark infringement.

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#15 posted by lummels , December 11, 2007 12:13 PM

*** vEARy *** CUTE!

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