Jerboa, << juhr BOH uh, >> is a mammal that looks like a tiny kangaroo. Jerboas are fawn-colored (light, yellowish-brown) and have pointed ears, buttonlike eyes, and long whiskers. Their front legs are short, and their hind legs are long and powerful. Jerboas usually walk on their hind legs. When frightened they speed away in bounding leaps, like kangaroos.
Jerboas are rodents. They belong to the same animal order as mice, rats, and squirrels. They live in deserts and dry areas in Africa, Asia, and eastern Europe. Jerboas live in groups in burrows (tunnels). They come out at night to look for food. They eat plants, seeds, and insects. In cold climates, jerboas hibernate (sleep through the winter).
Scientists have identified 25 species (kinds) of jerboas. The feather-footed jerboa, one of the most widespread species, is found from the central part of Russia through Mongolia to northern China.
Jerboas and kangaroo rats, which live in the United States, are so similar that it is hard to tell the two animals apart. They are an example of what biologists call convergent evolution. Study of the skulls and teeth of the two animals show that they had quite different ancestors. But, in the dry regions in which they live, similar features developed in both animals. See Kangaroo rat.
