Birch mice - Sminthidae
# Species kept 1-1-2000: 0
# Species kept currently: 1 (+1)
# Species gained: 3
# Species lost: 2
Formerly treated as a subfamily of the Jerboas (
Dipodidae) these mouse-like animals that look completely different from the jerboas are now treated as their own family.
Species gained
Hungarian birch mouse - Sicista trizona A2*
This species has been kept in Zoo Budapest since 2021 as part of a captive breeding program. The Hungarian birch mouse was only recognized as a species in 2016 and is listed as endangered and is patchily distributed in the Carpathian basin. The establishment of a captive breeding program with a local zoo is a good example of the direction zoos seem to be slowly taking when it comes to conservation.
Species gained but lost
Northern birch mouse - Sicista betulina B3
Kept in Zoo Tallinn 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 as well as in Bydgozcz Zoo, Poland 2006-2011. Apparently bred in neither.
Southern birch mouse - Sicista subtilis B2
Kept in Zoo Leipzig 2002-2003 and in Schulzoo Leipzig 2002-200?, with animals originating from Zoo Moscow. The species did not breed in either zoo.
@Giant Eland A single northern birch mouse was still present in Zoo Moscow in 2022
Jerboas - Dipodidae
# Species kept 1-1-2000: 2
# Species kept currently: 2
# Species gained: 4
# Species lost: 4
Out of the 6 species of this family to be kept in Europe this century, only 2 have been kept continuously (the 2 Egyptian jerboas
Jaculus orientalis and
Jaculus jaculus), most other species have only made brief appearances on the continent.
@Rhino00 The lesser Egyptian jerboa is currently the most widely kept jerboa in European zoos, but lack of interest means that zoos cooperate with private keepers
Species gained but lost
Greater jerboa - Allactaga major B2?
Both Zoo Riga (2001-2002) and Skansen Zoo, Stockholm (2007-200?) received offspring from Zoo Moscow, but neither zoo could keep this species long term or breed them.
Long-eared jerboa - Euchoreutes naso A2
Species kept in Zoo Magdeburg 2004-2007 with animals originating from Halle University. The species wasn’t bred and remained off-show.
Small five-toed jerboa - Scarturus elater A2
Kept shortly in Zoo Plzen 2009-2012, but not bred there.
Four-toed jerboa - Scarturus tetradactylus B3
Species was kept in 3 different zoos this century, but never long term: Zoo Leipzig 2004-2008, Tierpark Goerlitz ????-2005 and Zoo Plzen 2014-2017.
@vogelcommando While absent from zoos, species like four-toed jerboa are around in the private trade
Progress
16/22 orders completed
64/106 families completed
289-297 species present in 2000
288-290 species present in 2023
96-104 species gained this century
102-105 species lost this century
and some of the posts within this thread could well merit being quoted/duplicated within said threads.... but I think the ongoing discussion of the topic here is neither a problem nor off-topic, as it is entirely relevant to the overall subject matter of this thread - to wit, the various factors which influence trends of decline, increase and stagnation in European zoological collections.
unless you intend to suggest we have the exact same conversation when @lintworm reaches procyonids, and again when he reaches canids, and again when he reaches cervids, and so on....
