Our planet is amazing and rich in diversity of incredible representatives of living things! Carnivorous, herbivorous, poisonous and harmless - they are our brothers. The task of man is to treat the animal world with care, to know and respect its laws. After all, some species are so unique that they have inhabited the Earth since ancient times! Today we will talk about just such an animal. His name is jerboa. It has been known since the Oligocene period (33.9 - 23.03 million years ago). Scientists suggest that the ancestors of modern jerboas emerged in Asia about eight million years ago. From there they spread to North Africa and Europe. But in Europe the jerboa has become completely extinct.

Description of the jerboa

Small, mouse-like mammals. They are representatives of the order of rodents. There are about 50 species in nature. The most famous include: African, five-fingered, big jerboa, marsupial, long-eared, hairy-legged, fat-tailed, as well as the jumping jerboa.

Appearance

Externally, jerboas resemble either a kangaroo or a mouse. The head is large relative to the body, with an almost indistinguishable neck. Round, slightly flattened muzzle with large dark eyes. Large eyes allow you to capture a greater flow of light information. Huge fan-shaped vibrissae. This is the main organ of touch in many animals. As a rule, they have long and rounded ears, which carry the function of heat transfer and reception of auditory information. The hair on the ears is sparse.

• Body length: from 4 to 26 cm.
• Tail length: from 6 to 28 cm.
• Weight: from 10 to 300 grams.

The body is short. The hind limbs are much longer than the front ones, which is necessary for active running. The animal uses short forelimbs with sharp, elongated claws for digging holes and manipulating food. The fur is thick and soft. Color ranges from sandy to brown, mostly monochromatic. There is a light color on the belly.

This is interesting! The jerboa's tail may contain a reserve of fat necessary to maintain the body during hibernation or during periods of lack of food.

The tail has a flat tassel at the end, which acts as a kind of rudder when moving. Individual characteristics The color and structure of the limbs depend on the species and habitat. For example, the color and size of the body as a whole or its individual parts change.

Lifestyle and behavior

Jerboa nocturnal beast. Wary to such an extent that after sunset it leaves its hole only an hour later. Searches for food all night, going up to 5 km away. And in the morning, exactly an hour before sunrise, they return to the shelter. Such reinsurance often saves lives. However, there are species that are active and search for food during the day, and at dusk they rush to their house underground.

One type of housing is summer. With separated rooms covered with grass. Often, practical animals make a “back door” in their underground apartments and, in case of threat, escape through it.

In winter, the animal goes into hibernation, which lasts up to six months. A hibernation hole differs from a regular “living” hole. It is located much deeper, reaching 2.5 meters. Some species store food reserves for the winter, while others store them directly within themselves, in the form of fat.

This is interesting! Jerboas are real builders. These hardworking animals build more than one house for themselves. They have summer and winter holes, permanent and temporary, a hole for hibernation and holes for the birth of offspring.

Also, these incredible creatures can have houses for permanent and temporary stay. Permanent houses always have an entrance covered with a clod of earth. This peculiar corridor is quite long deep into the interior.

Next, as a rule, a branch appears leading to the living room, in which the surface is covered with grass and there is a place for a “bed” in the form of a ball of wool, moss, feathers - everything suitable materials, collected on the surface. Several unfinished passages already lead from it to the surface. They are necessary in case of emergency evacuation.

Among the jerboas there are those who, instead of building their own house, “rent” it from the gophers. The jerboa contacts its relatives only during the mating season. You can call him a loner. This is one of the strategies used for survival different representatives flora.

Some stay in a group and survive, having a developed system of communication and coherence among themselves. And some, on the contrary, prefer to develop individually, passing on the genes of the most adapted, fastest, invulnerable, cautious and intelligent to the next generation. And if the individual turns out to be clumsy, slow or inattentive, then it dies. This ensures the survival of the species.

How long do jerboas live?

However, diseases, influence natural conditions and predators shorten this time significantly. In captivity, lifespan increases significantly. Average life expectancy in wildlife no more than 3 years.

Range, habitats

What is worth envying other animals among jerboas is their prevalence in completely different conditions life. They live on almost all continents, where there are steppes, deserts and semi-deserts. These regions include North Africa to sub-Saharan Africa, southern Europe, and Asia north of the Himalayas.

However, jerboas can be found even in forest-steppes and mountainous areas. Separate subspecies They live even at an altitude of up to 2 thousand meters above sea level. In Russia you can find some representatives of the genus: the large jerboa, the small jerboa, the jumping jerboa, the common emur, the bushy jerboa and the five-fingered jerboa.

Jerboa diet

The daily food intake for a jerboa is 60 grams. Their diet includes seeds and roots of plants, which they obtain by digging holes.

They enjoy eating insect larvae. They love to feast on fruits, cereal grains, and vegetables. Jerboas practically do not drink water! All moisture comes from plants.

Important! The tail of a jerboa says a lot about the state of health and nutrition. If it is round, then the animal eats well and regularly. The tail is thin, with protruding vertebrae, indicating exhaustion.

Diet consists mainly of seeds and plant roots. Their jerboas dig out, leaving holes. Insects and their larvae are also eaten. The animals practically do not drink water. They get moisture from plants. During the night, in search of food, one rodent can travel up to 10 km along its food trails.

One animal requires 60 g of various feeds per day. This population has big influence on the soil and vegetation of deserts, semi-deserts and steppes, and also serves as food for local predators. At the same time, animals can spread dangerous infectious diseases, including the plague.

Today, jerboas are a fairly common animal that not only lives in the wild, but is also kept at home. When you look at these animals, natural questions may arise, for example, about what the jerboas eat and where these little ones live, what kind of life they have and how to keep them in an apartment.

Short description

This animal is small in stature; depending on the species, its body can be from 5 to 25 cm. Compared to the body, the animal’s head looks large, and the muzzle has a blunt shape. The jerboa's eyes are attractive large sizes. Also surprising is its tail, which is longer than the body and often ends in a tassel. The hind limbs of these babies are very developed, they are designed for powerful jumps. The front legs, on the contrary, are very short and are adapted only for digging holes and holding food near the mouth. Its round, often large ears indicate good hearing, which allows the jerboa to survive in the wild. This mammal species belongs to the order called "rodents". Jerboas have sharp incisors, which serve them not only for gnawing hard grains, but also for building burrows. Their external characteristics are somewhat reminiscent of kangaroos. They also move on their hind limbs, but the curious thing is that these babies can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h, and they can jump up to three meters high. According to modern data, there are 26 species of jerboas.

Where do they live?

Typically, these animals are common in only certain subspecies live in the steppe zone. Others prefer to live on high mountains. Depending on the territory in which the animal is distributed, each species has adapted to special soil and conditions. The habitat also affects what the jerboa eats. These animals live in homemade burrows. They spend the whole day in their shelters and only come out of hiding at dusk. Returning to their houses at early dawn, they close the “door” behind them, which they make from the earth. The interesting thing is that the minks have backup passages. If someone discovers a dwelling through a fresh plug and begins to dig it out, the jerboa jumps out in an unexpected place, breaking through the roof of the cave with its head. The residential burrow is located in the far part of the main passage; it is usually covered with fine grass, on which the animal rests after night travels.

Nutrition

It has already been noted that this rodent is a nocturnal traveler. At this time he goes out in search of food. But what does a jerboa living in flat areas eat? Usually, to obtain the necessary microelements, the animal eats insects and larvae; it is also in search of plant bulbs and tubers and is not averse to eating their seeds. In deserts, the rodent searches for bushes and other possible plants to use the found stems for food. It is worth mentioning the dwarf fat-tailed jerboas. If they are planted in the same terrarium, they quarrel violently, and it happens that the stronger one eats the one struck. Therefore, before putting several individuals in a cage, you should find out what species your jerboa belongs to. We found out what the animal, common on the plain, eats. But how do those who choose to live in mountainous areas survive? These animals are also in search of any vegetation that may be on the peaks. The roots and green parts are used. Usually this food is enough for them to live a full life.

Animal life

If in summer this rodent tries to find food, then in winter it usually does not have to worry about it. At this time, he is in his prepared burrows and fast asleep. In the spring, jerboas begin their weddings, and by summer, offspring appear. On average, four babies are born into the world, but in general this number varies from 1 to 8. What does the jerboa eat until it can’t find food on its own? At first, the mother takes care of the baby, providing him with milk, but after a few days the baby can switch to herbal nutrition and even insects (of course, if this species consumes protein in this form).

The jerboa simply cannot help but attract attention with its appearance, so some decide to have such a pet in their apartment. But it is worth remembering that this animal requires special conditions content. You also need to remember that some wild animals require a lot of space, and the jerboa is one of these species. What a baby eats and what kind of soil he needs can be determined if you know how he lives in the wild. Since this rodent has very bouncy hind legs, it needs room to “walk around”, otherwise it will begin to be overcome by pain and may die. But it is worth remembering that it is undesirable to let the animal walk around the apartment on its own, since it will hide in hard to reach place and can not only ruin the furniture, but also chew the wall. If the baby does “get away”, you need to catch him carefully so as not to grab his tail, otherwise he may lose it forever. It is ideal if you place your pet in a large aquarium covered with bars (1.2 by 0.25 meters). If the baby is accustomed to sandy terrain, one third of the bottom is covered with sand; for other types, a layer of turf is suitable. It is worth finding out what the jerboa eats in its habitat and trying to feed it the same. You cannot accustom a rodent to human food. He can be given mixed grains, non-exotic fruits and vegetables. Be sure to feed him sunflowers, melons, and dandelion leaves. You can supply your pet with thin twigs of maple or willow. Also, there should always be water in the terrarium.

Jerboas are very funny and cute rodents, representatives of the order of mammals. These unusual animals live on almost all continents globe: They can be found in eastern Europe, in the southern regions of Western Siberia, in northern Africa, as well as in steppes and deserts.

Jerboas are able to perfectly adapt to various weather and climatic conditions; in nature there are only about 26 species of these animals.

Characteristics of appearance and behavior

Classification of jerboas. The species of these rodents differ in the structure of their legs, the length of their tail, and the location of their ears. All jerboas can be divided into three large groups:

Hairy jerboa. Representatives of this type have a body size of about 14 cm, and the tail can reach a length of 0.15 meters. The habitats of these animals are semi-desert areas, so they prefer to hide from enemies in dunes.

Their heads are quite large, their ears are short, and their legs have bristles of hair. Hairy-footed animals move by running or jumping. They usually live in burrows, the length of which can reach up to 8 meters. They feed on roots various plants.

Long-eared jerboa. The ears of these animals are very large, and representatives of this type also have a long tail with a black and white tassel at the end. The muzzle of the animals has a pointed shape, with long whiskers located on it. The habitat of jerboas is the Gobi Desert.

Their body is small, about 9 cm, and their ears are 5 cm. The hind legs are much larger than the front ones - 3–4 times. These animals have fur yellow color. Their lifestyle is nocturnal and very hidden. The long-eared jerboa belongs to rare species animals, therefore it is listed in the Red Book.

Home jerboa. These include those animals that were caught in the desert or steppe and kept in a cage as ornamental animals. If the jerboa is released, it can escape; in addition, the animal jumps beautifully and high, so the cage for its residence must be at least 60 cm.

This rodent feeds at home different types grain plants, roots. Animals do not like when people try to pet them or play with them, since they are, after all, solitary and wild animals.

Gallery: large jerboa (25 photos)

Types of jerboas

What does a jerboa look like, features of lifestyle and behavior

These small and fluffy animals look very similar to mice. But jerboas differ from them in having large ears and small front legs.

Depending on its species, the body length of the animal varies from 5 to 30 cm, and they also have a short and dense head, a very long tail and thin legs. Character traits appearance Desert animals - jerboas are as follows:

• short body;
• slightly pointed and flattened muzzle;
• rather unusual large ears;
• the neck is almost invisible;
• large black eyes;
• the hind limbs are long and strong, the feet are elongated;
• at the end of the tail there is a black and white tassel;
• the body is covered with thick and soft wool, gray-yellow in color;
• animals have 16–18 teeth, with which they feed and loosen the soil.

These animals move by jumping, with their front legs folded over their chest. The role of the steering wheel here is played by the tail, with the help of which the animals can also choose the direction of movement. Only some individuals can move on all four legs and only when they are not in a hurry.

All types of these rodents - nocturnal animals, this can be talked about big size their ears and eyes. With the help of such eyes, animals better navigate in the dark, and their ears help them catch more night sounds. They usually leave their burrows after sunset and try to find food for themselves throughout the night; they can go 5 km from home, but by dawn they return to the shelter and sleep there during the day.

The dwellings where jerboas live are temporary and permanent, the latter, in turn, are divided into summer and wintering. Temporary burrows are located at shallow depths and have more simple design. The permanent dwelling is deep, with additional branches, and can be up to 6 meters long.

All the jerboas, with the onset of the first autumn cold, hibernate which lasts about 4 months. Sometimes animals may wake up briefly, usually due to sudden warming.

After spring comes, the animals finally wake up and have breeding season begins. Pregnancy in a female usually lasts 25 days; as a result, from 3 to 6 babies can be born. The mother takes care of them for about two months, and then the young rodents leave the parental burrow and begin to live independently. They reach sexual maturity at two years of age.

Typically, the lifespan of jerboas in nature is does not exceed three years and five months. The lifespan of animals is influenced by the fact that they very often become prey to all kinds of predators: reptiles, birds of prey, large animals. If rodents are kept at home, their lifespan increases significantly.

Animals are omnivores, but they give greater preference plant food. They prefer to eat seeds, young shoots and plant roots.

Rodents enjoy eating seeds of watermelons and melons, as well as various cereals. If the animal does not find any vegetation for itself at night, then it will happily eat some insects or their larvae.

An interesting fact is that jerboas don't drink water at all, since the juice of the plants they eat is enough for them.

Big jerboa

The large jerboa is a typical representative of the genus of earthen hares. It is considered the northernmost inhabitant because this species is found in Eastern Europe, Kazakhstan, southern Siberia, the Crimean steppes, and along the southern tributaries of the Kama and Oka rivers.

In some areas of our country, the animals are on the verge of extinction, and the only habitat for the largest number of Greater Jerboas now is the steppe reserves.

The ground hare is the largest representative of the rodent family. Its body can reach a length from 20 to 26 cm. The animal's coat color is usually light brown, but the shade may vary slightly depending on where it lives. The animal has a long tail, about 30 cm, with a white tassel at the end in the form of a long drop. The ears are usually about 6 cm long. These animals have very sensitive hearing.

Its hind limbs are thin, with long and fairly developed feet. The animal moves exclusively on the hind legs not only by jumping, but also by simply moving your legs. Maintain balance during fast run the animal is helped by its long tail. But thanks to its individual paw structure, the Great Jerboa became known as a jumper.

To get away from enemies as quickly as possible, the animal capable of reaching speeds of up to 50 km per hour. This rodent lives in permanent burrows with complex design, with several emergency exits. In addition to the main place of residence, it also has simpler and shorter temporary burrows and wintering places, which it digs deep underground.

The animal feeds seeds and roots of plants on occasion, it can also feast on insects. On agricultural lands, the jerboa feeds on sunflower seeds, watermelons and melons, wormwood leaves, as well as grains of cultivated cereals.

Winter animal hibernates, and in the spring, after awakening, Large jerboas begin to reproduce. Usually, a female gives birth to 2–4 babies, who after two months leave their mother and begin independent life.

The unusual animals, jerboas, that live in steppe, desert and semi-desert regions, are very similar to mice in pictures and photos. However, this rodent is distinguished by large ears and short forelimbs. This funny representative of the largest order of mammals lives on almost all continents of the world and has 26 different species.

Description, photos and varieties of the rodent jerboa

Depending on the species, the jerboa may have body length from 5 to 30 cm. The animal has a dense and short head, thin legs and a long tail. In addition, jerboas differ:

• short body;
• flattened muzzle;
• rounded unusually long ears;
• big eyes;
• almost invisible neck;
• long, strong hind legs with elongated feet;
• black and white tassel at the end of the tail;
• thick and soft yellow-gray fur.

Jerboas move by jumping, folding their short front legs on their chest. This movement is very similar to the jumping of a kangaroo. The rodent chooses the direction with the help of its tail, which plays the role of a rudder.

Animals have 16 or 18 teeth. In addition to the fact that they chew food with their incisors, they also use them to loosen the soil. Then the loosened soil is dug with the limbs.

Types of jerboas with photos

On the territory of Russia, these rodents inhabit semi-deserts and steppes of southern Siberia. The most interesting representatives of the jerboa family are the following species:

Lifestyle

Large eyes and the size of the ears indicate that jerboas are nocturnal inhabitants. They leave their burrows about half an hour after sunset, and search for food all night. To do this, they can walk up to five kilometers. Before dawn, the animal returns to its hole, where it sleeps all day.

At the jerboas There are four types of mink:

1. The permanent burrow is equipped with several entrances. The main entrance has a slope, and the rest approach almost to the surface and are spare. The main passage leads to the living chamber, in which the animal, using crushed blades of grass, makes a “bed” for itself.
2. Temporary daytime burrows. The length of such dwellings is from 20 to 50 cm. To maintain humidity and coolness in them, the entrance is sealed with a sand or earthen plug.
3. Rescue holes. This simple moves, in which the animals hide. Their depth is from 10 to 20 cm.
4. Wintering burrows. Such dwellings have a wintering chamber and underground storage rooms at a depth of 1.5-2.5 meters.

IN winter time years many types of jerboas hibernate. This happens around October and lasts for four months. If warming suddenly occurs in winter, the animals may wake up for a short time.

Eating jerboas

Rodents are omnivores, but they prefer plant foods. Their diet consists mainly of seeds, roots and shoots of various plants. They also love the seeds of cereals, melons and watermelons. If an animal does not find any plant food overnight in the desert, it can catch and happily eat any insect or its larvae. Jerboas do not drink water at all. They get enough juice from plants they eat.

Lifespan and reproduction

As soon as the jerboas come out hibernation, they have breeding season begins. This period usually begins in mid-March - early April and continues until autumn. There are from 1 to 3 litters per year.

The female's pregnancy lasts about 25 days. From 1 to 8 cubs can be born at one time. The babies live with their parents for two months, after which they begin an independent life. Young rodents reach sexual maturity by the age of two.

In the wild, jerboas live a little over three years. Their lifespan here depends on natural enemies. Rodents should be afraid of:

• birds of prey;
• large mammals;
• reptiles.

If an animal lives in captivity, its lifespan increases significantly.

Jerboas at home

If you decide to have such an animal, then you need to create conditions in your house that are close to natural. It is recommended to keep jerboas in large cages or enclosures. It must be remembered that animals capable of jumping to great heights. Rodents show aggression towards each other, so it is impossible to keep several individuals in one cage.

You need to pour sand at the bottom of the house or cover it with turf. The pet's bedding should be soft. Another advantage of turf is that you can dig holes in it. This process is very important for desert inhabitants. In addition, sand must be freely available, since rodents need sand baths.

The cage must be equipped with:

• drinking bowl;
• a bowl for food;
• material for the nesting house in the form of dry grass, roots, sticks.

Since jerboas are very clean, they will clean their coats on their own and will set aside a certain place for the toilet. Therefore, it is necessary to clean their cage regularly.

Rodents have a hard time getting used to humans. In nocturnal animals, contact with people causes stress, as a result of which the animal life schedule is disrupted. And even if after some time the pet stops being afraid of its owner and even goes into his arms, it will still remain a wild animal. That is why it is not recommended to release the jerboa from its cage, since at the first opportunity it will escape.

It is quite difficult to see a jerboa in nature. They are very shy and are even listed in the Red Book, since they are one of the rarest animals on our planet. Pictures and photos various types jerboas can be seen in our photo gallery.

Animal jerboa

Classification

Latin name: Dipodidae

Highest classification: Dipodoidea

Rank: Family

Class: Mammals

Squad: Rodents

Kingdom: Animals

Type: Chordata

Suborder: Mouselike

How other animals adapt to environment, written in the article

Jerboas are capable of reaching speeds of up to 40 km/h. Their running is accompanied by three-meter jumps, and this distance exceeds the body length of the animal itself by 20 times. The feet of these animals are quite remarkable and the hind limbs of some species are twice the length of their spine

Habitat

The jerboa is common in areas with hot and temperate climates. Their habitat covers Mongolia and North Africa, Central, Minor and Western Asia, Kazakhstan and the south of Eastern Europe, as well as an area stretching from northeast China to southern Siberia.

Most varieties of jerboas are adapted to living conditions in deserts and semi-deserts, and only a few of them can live in the steppe, like in the forest zone and in mountainous areas located at a distance of 2 km above sea level.

Burrow construction

And the furry-legged one, and the long-eared one, and the big jerboa - they are all tireless workers. They constantly dig holes, which can be roughly divided into 4 main types:

• rescue, the depth of which reaches 20 cm;
• daytime - up to half a meter long;
• permanent - with a main inclined passage and spare ones, which are blind, the animal lays them very close to the surface;
• wintering rooms are equipped in a special way - they have pantries where the steppe animal hides supplies, and a wintering chamber, which is located at a depth of about 2 meters.

Interesting! When someone starts digging a permanent hole, the jerboa will immediately hide in one of the spare ones, tightly closing its roof!

The jerboa lives in a separate chamber, which is located in the far part of the hole. He lines his nest with fine grass

The meaning of the jerboa

For a desert biocenosis, jerboas have very great importance. During their life activities, these rodents influence the vegetation and soil in their habitat.

These animals have many natural enemies, among them, for which they are a source of food.

But the role of the jerboa is not always exclusively positive. They can cause harm by destroying the vegetation that strengthens the sands and damaging the crops of cultivated plants.

Since the jerboa looks quite cute, it is difficult to imagine that it is capable of becoming the causative agent of such a dangerous disease as the plague.

And this is not the only disease that this steppe animal carries.

Nutrition

Jerboas feed primarily on vegetation. They consume seeds and rhizomes, which are first dug out of the soil, leaving noticeable holes in their place.

Depending on the place of residence and conditions, this animal can feed on insects and their larvae.

A jerboa eats about 60 g of various foods per day.

It is noteworthy that he does not drink water; the animal obtains liquid from plants. The rodent makes very long feeding passages and can cover a distance of 11 km in one night to feed itself.

Reproduction

In spring and summer, jerboas reproduce. In one year, a female is capable of bringing from 1 to 3 litters, each of which contains from 1 to 8 babies.

The gestation period lasts about 25-42 days. The female always gives birth in a hole in an individual nest.

The cubs are born blind and look like newborn rats.

When the body weight of a small jerboa reaches 200 g, it begins to gradually transition to independent life

Babies are under the care of their mother for quite a long time - about 1.5 months. During this period, they grow and gain weight up to 125 g. The cubs emerge from the burrow fully formed, but still move somewhat awkwardly.

Young jerboas are quite friendly and get along well next to each other. But after reaching three months, aggression begins to be traced in their behavior. This pushes the young animals to resettle.

Unlike, for example, a squirrel, domestication for a jerboa is stressful. They take a very long time and have a hard time getting used to the conditions of captivity and humans.

These animals are very difficult to make contact with. This behavior is due to the fact that such a rodent prefers to be nocturnal, and having become a pet, it has to be active during the day.

And even when a connection is established between a person and an animal, the latter still remains wild

The domestic jerboa needs space where it can remain active. Important for him exercise stress and a person needs to take this into account. If this condition is neglected, the animal will experience discomfort, which will lead to physical inactivity and even death.

A large enclosure should be prepared for the domestic jerboa, not only long and wide enough, but also high enough so that it can jump.

It is highly undesirable to place plastic objects in the nest, the same goes for the pallet. Otherwise, the animal will gnaw through it with its sharp teeth and run away.

You cannot keep several individuals in one cage at once, as a conflict will certainly arise between them. It is advisable to lay a bedding of turf and sand at the bottom of the enclosure. A hard bottom can cause injury.

Vegetation should always be present in the cage of a domestic jerboa: dry grass, roots, small brushwood. He will use them to build his nest, as is usually the case in the wild.

The jerboa needs turf bedding in the enclosure so that it can dig holes, even small ones. Otherwise, the animal may experience stress, which will develop into a nervous breakdown.

A domestic jerboa is not allowed to be released from its cage - at the slightest opportunity it will certainly run away.

The diet of this steppe animal must contain special grain mixtures, cereals, fruits and vegetables: sunflower seeds, potatoes, dandelion roots and leaves, apples, pears, melon seeds, beets.

In winter, thin shoots of maple, willow and aspen should be added to the enclosure. Insects will supplement the diet: butterflies, crickets and mealworms.

Jerboas: Frisky jumpers with long tails

Jerboas are the only rodents that walk exclusively on their hind legs. Surprisingly, these mammals walk like humans, leaning on each leg in turn.