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Jerboas, as previously defined, were thought to be paraphyletic, with the jumping mice and birch mice also being classified in the family Dipodidae.However, phylogenetic analysis split all three as distinct families, leaving just the jerboas in Dipodidae and revealing them to be a monophyletic group.
The long-eared jerboa (Euchoreutes naso) [2] is a nocturnal mouse-like rodent with a long tail, long hind legs for jumping, and exceptionally large ears. It is distinct enough that authorities consider it to be the only member of both its genus, Euchoreutes, and subfamily, Euchoreutinae. Long-eared jerboas are found in the Palearctic ecozone.
The jumping mice have long feet, but lack the extreme adaptations of the jerboas, so that they move by crawling or making short hops, rather than long leaps. Both jerboas and jumping mice have long tails to aid their balance. Birch mice have shorter tails and feet, but they, too, move by jumping. [4]
The lesser Egyptian jerboa is a strictly nocturnal species, feeding on seeds, insects, succulent parts of desert grasses, and fungi (desert truffles Terfezia species [2]), which it detects using its acute sense of smell. Amazingly, it does not need to drink in order to survive the arid desert conditions, relying on its food to provide it with ...
The greater Egyptian jerboa (Jaculus orientalis) is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. [2] It is found in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and is possibly extinct in the Negev Desert of Israel. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, sandy shores, and arable land.
The four-toed jerboa (Scarturus tetradactylus) is a rodent of the family Dipodidae and genus Scarturus that has four digits. Four-toed jerboas are native to Egypt and Libya . They live in coastal salt marshes and dry deserts .
The jerboa body length ranges from 5–15 cm and has a tail ranging from 7–25 cm. [7] The "forelimbs of the jerboa serve as a pair of hands for feeding, grooming, etc." [8] Jerboas use their nose to burrow and push the dirt when looking for food. [9] The male jerboa is usually larger in size and weight in comparison to the female jerboa. [10]
The great jerboa has three types of burrows, permanent ones for summer and winter and temporary retreats. [1] It likes to eat the bulbs of plants. [3] The plant bulbs it most commonly eats are the bulbs of Gagea. [3] To get to the bulbs the great jerboa uses its teeth. This allows it to dig out the bulb. [3]