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Jerboa

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  Animal class: Mammals – (They are warm-blooded (the body temperature stays about the same temperature without help from the sun), breathe air with lungs, have a 4 chamber heart, have 3 bones in their inner ears, have vertebrae (a backbone or spine), have hair or fur (even whales and dolphins have some hair near their mouths), almost all species have a live birth, but 2 species lay eggs (the platypus and the echidna), all females produce (their bodies make) milk for their young, most have 4 legs or for humans, 2 arms and 2 legs, sizes range from the Bumblebee bat at 1 in (3 cm) to the Blue whale at 100 ft (30 m)) (Examples: Whales, people, dogs, and elephants. There are about 6,500 diff erent species.)
• Diet: Omnivore (They eat plants and meat): plants and small insects
• Lifespan: About to 6 years
• Predators: Owls, foxes, cats, jackals, and snakes
• Size: 2-6 in (5-15 cm) in length & long tails of 2.5-9 in (7-25 cm)
• Species: There are 33 diff erent jerboa species
• Speed : 15 mph (24 kph)
• Status: Some species are Near Threatened, some are Least Concern, and some are Vulnerable
• Weight: About 0.8-1.3 oz (22 g)
• Where do they live?: They can be found in Asia and Northern Africa, in the grasslands and deserts
• They are a kind of rodent (like mice and hamsters).
• They can jump between 6-9 ft (2-3 m) into the air in 1 jump.
• Jerboas have an excellent sense of smell and great hearing.
• They like to live underground in a burrow but will fi nd higher ground to make their homes during the rainy season.
• They are nocturnal (they sleep during the day and hunt at night), which is helpful because temperatures can be extremely hot in some of their habitats. In deserts, temperatures can reach 130 F (55 C).
• Jerboas also have a special fl ap of skin on their ears to help prevent (stop) sand from entering them.