Allactaga major - Of the approximately 30 species of jerboas, the great jerboa is the largest. It is 18 centimeters in length and has a tail of 26 centimeters. Primarily a desert animal, they are found throughout the arid regions of Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. They resemble kangaroos; short forearms, long tails, and powerful hind legs to allow them to hop along at speeds of 24 km/h. Jerboas are nocturnal animals and take shelter in burrows during the day.
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The Aral Sea is located between the borders of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Its old Turkic name translates as “Sea of Islands.” At one time the Aral Sea contained over 1,100 islands. Since the 1960’s, amid the rise of several irrigation projects, the size of the Aral Sea has been severely reduced. With a prior surface area of over 68,000 square kilometers, it was considered one of the world’s greatest lakes, but now, the Aral Sea measures a mere 17,160 square kilometers with further reductions expected.
