Jerboa Profile
Jerboas are a group of 33 species of flying squirrels found in North Africa, eastern Europe, and Asia.
They are a large member of the Dipodidae family.
They are known for their kangaroo-like appearance, with long legs and tails, and small hands.
Jerboa Facts Overview
Accommodation:
Grasslands and desert
North Africa, Arabia, and Asia
3 – 6 years
5 – 15 cm (2 – 6 inches) including tail
Plants, roots, seeds, tubers, insects
Stealers:
Owls, foxes, wolves, snakes and cats
15 mph (24 kph)
Number of types:
It is threatened in some way from the loss of society
They are solitary and nocturnal, spending most of the day in burrows they dig in the sand.
They can live up to 6 years in the wild.
At night, they forage for insects and beetles, eating fruits, roots, and tubers.
Their predators include foxes, cats, snakes, and owls.
Some are at risk of extinction due to human expansion of their habitats.
For example, the four-legged Jerboa has a limited range and is under threat.
Jerboa data
1. There are 33 species of jerboa.
Although all kangaroos are different, each is adapted to its habitat.
Some are well adapted for the hot deserts, while others survive the extreme cold of the Mongolian deserts during the winter.
2. They go by flight.
They get around by flying and are said to have a “flawless” move.
They often zig-zag and jump a long way laterally and horizontally.
They use their tails to help them do this, which helps them get off the ground and help them keep their balance.
3. They can fly a distance of 3m!
This is a tactic they use to help them fend off predators.
4. Jerboa can fly at a speed of 24kph.
This helps them avoid night predators such as owls, foxes and snakes.
5. They are nocturnal which helps them to escape high temperatures.
They stay all day in the holes they make in the sand, and only come out at night when it cools down.
They use this to help them avoid predators.
7. They have big eyes to see well at night.
As nocturnal animals, their large (and beautiful) eyes help them see at night so they can find prey and avoid predators.
8. Jerboa does not drink water!
Like desert animals, they get all the water they eat.
9. The color is sand to help them blend together.
Adapting to their environment helps them avoid being spotted by predators, especially owls flying overhead.
They build holes.
Most species build burrows that they use to escape the heat of the day, or in some cases to keep warm at night when the temperature drops dramatically in some deserts.
These pits have an escape hatch, so it is possible to get out if found by crazy people.
They are lonely.
When a jerboa is old enough to leave home, they may not interact much with other jerboas except for mating purposes.
Pygmy Jerboas are one of the smallest rodents in the world.
Adults are about 4.4cm in body length, with a tail almost twice as long as 8cm.
Adults weight less than 4g!
The long-eared jerboa is one of the largest known ear to body ratio.
Its ears are dumbo-shaped and two-thirds the length of its body.
The Mongolian jerboa hibernates for the winter.
In Mongolia, it can be as cold as minus 20 degrees during winter.
Therefore, small jerboas protect the entrance of their burrow with sand and hibernate.
Jerboas are carriers of monkeypox.
Jerboa Fact-File Summary
Table:
Family:
Dipodidae
Sources and references Moore TY, Cooper KL, Biewener AA, Vasudevan R.
Trajectory uncertainty explains predator evasion ability and microhabitat preference of desert mice.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017.
Accessed March 17, 2021.WWF.
A long-eared jerboa stands—and flies—in his own class Article | WWF.
Available March 17, 2021.