Northern three-toed jerboa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Northern three-toed jerboaTemporal range: Pleistocene – Recent
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Dipus
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sagitta
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The northern three-toed jerboa (Dipus sagitta) is a small, hopping rodent. It belongs to the Dipodidae family, which includes many types of jerboas. This animal is the only living species in its group, called Dipus.
You can find the northern three-toed jerboa across a wide area. Its home stretches from Iran and Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan, Russia, China, and Mongolia. Scientists consider it a common animal. Because of this, its conservation status is "least concern". This means it is not currently at risk of disappearing.
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Meet the Northern Three-Toed Jerboa
This jerboa is a small creature. Its body, from head to tail base, is about 10 to 15.5 centimeters (4 to 6 inches) long. Its tail is even longer, measuring 14.5 to 19 centimeters (5.7 to 7.5 inches). The jerboa usually weighs between 56 and 117 grams (2 to 4 ounces).
Its fur is ochre-brown or reddish-brown on its back. A white stripe runs from the base of its tail across its hips. Its belly and underside are white. The jerboa's most special feature is its hind feet. They have only three toes. The middle three foot bones are fused together, making them very strong. Long white hairs cover the top of its feet. Stiff hair pads are found under its toes. The jerboa's long tail has a black tassel at the end, tipped with white.
Where Do Northern Three-Toed Jerboas Live?
This jerboa lives in many parts of Asia. Its range starts near the Don River and the Caspian Sea. It then spreads through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, northern Iran, and Kazakhstan. Its habitat reaches all the way to Mongolia and northern China.
Northern three-toed jerboas prefer sandy areas. They live in sandy deserts and semi-deserts. You can also find them in sandy pastures and pine forests on sandy ground. They usually live at heights between 1,000 and 1,300 meters (3,300 to 4,300 feet). However, some have been seen as high as 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) in the Altai Mountains.
Life of a Northern Three-Toed Jerboa
Northern three-toed jerboas often live alone or sometimes in pairs. Each jerboa has a large home area. In this area, it might have several burrows. Some are shallow and temporary, used for quick shelter. One main burrow is much deeper and more complex.
Building a Home: Jerboa Burrows
The main burrow has a steep tunnel that goes deep underground. It then turns at an angle and leads to a nesting room. There are also smaller rooms for storing food. The jerboa digs with its front paws. It uses its teeth to cut through roots. It pushes soil out with its back feet or nose. This creates a fan-shaped pile of dirt outside the burrow entrance.
A main burrow can be 2.5 meters (8 feet) long and up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) deep. These jerboas are fast diggers. They can dig about 40 centimeters (16 inches) of tunnel in just ten minutes!
What Do Jerboas Eat and How Do They Move?
Northern three-toed jerboas are nocturnal. This means they are active at night. They come out after dark to find food. Their main food is seeds. But they also eat grasses, young shoots, leaves, bulbs, roots, and even insects.
They move by hopping on their two hind legs, which is called bipedal movement. Normally, their hops are about 10 to 15 centimeters (4 to 6 inches) long. But if they feel scared or excited, they can make huge leaps. These bounds can be as long as 120 to 140 centimeters (47 to 55 inches)!
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Northern three-toed jerboas usually breed during the summer months. A female jerboa can have two or three litters of babies each summer. Each litter typically has three or four young jerboas. The babies are born after a gestation period of 25 to 30 days.
In the colder northern parts of their range, these jerboas hibernate during winter. They go deep underground, usually from November to March. This helps them survive when food is scarce and temperatures are very cold.
Jerboas in New Habitats
An interesting place where these jerboas thrive is the Aralkum desert. This "man-made" desert formed because the Aral Sea has shrunk. The northern three-toed jerboa has moved into this new sandy area. It lives there with other small rodents like the Libyan jird and the great gerbil.
There are many rodents in this new desert. This abundance of prey has attracted many carnivores. Animals like the red fox, corsac fox, and Turkestan wildcat now hunt in this area.
Conservation Status: Not at Risk
The Dipus sagitta, or northern three-toed jerboa, is a common animal. It lives in many suitable habitats across its wide range. Scientists believe it has a large total population. It is also a "pioneering species." This means it is often one of the first small rodents to move into new habitats. The drying seabed of the Aral Sea is a good example of this.
No major threats to this species have been found. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has decided its conservation status is "least concern". This means it is not considered endangered or threatened.
Images for kids
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A northern three-toed jerboa.
