Jerboa
| Jerboa Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Scarturus tetradactylus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Superfamily: | Dipodoidea |
| Family: | Dipodidae Fischer de Waldheim, 1817 |
| Subfamilies | |
| |
Jerboas (/dʒɜːrˈboʊə/ ⓘ) are the members of the family Dipodidae. They are hopping desert rodents found throughout North Africa and Asia. They tend to live in hot deserts.
When chased, jerboas can run at up to 24 km/h (15 mph). Some species are preyed on by little owls (Athene noctua) in central Asia. Most species of jerboas have excellent hearing that they use to avoid becoming the prey of nocturnal predators. The typical lifespan of a jerboa is around 2–3 years.