Jerboa Temporal range: Middle Miocene - Recent | |
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Family: | Dipodidae Fischer de Waldheim, 1817 |
A jerboa is a small desert rodent of Asia and Northern Africa. It looks like a mouse, but it has a long tail and very long back legs. The jerboa moves by jumping. Jerboas have long tails, long hind legs, and short front legs. They tend to live in hot deserts.
When they are being chased, jerboas can run up to 24 kilometers per hour. Some jerboa species are preyed on by little owls in central Asia. Most species of jerboas have very good hearing. Their hearing helps them avoid being attacked by predators.