Small five-toed jerboa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Small five-toed jerboa |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Scarturus
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| Species: |
elater
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| Synonyms | |
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List
Allactaga elater
Dipus elater |
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The small five-toed jerboa (Scarturus elater) is a type of hopping rodent. It belongs to the Dipodidae family and the Scarturus genus. These amazing animals have five toes on their feet.
Jerboas live in the rocky deserts of Asia. You can find them in countries like Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan.
These jerboas have long back feet and short front paws. They often stand upright, using their long tail for balance. Their body can be 5 to 15 centimeters long, and their tail can be 7 to 25 centimeters long. They also have large ears compared to their body size.
Small five-toed jerboas are very fast! They can hop at speeds up to 48 kilometers per hour. Their front paws are like little hands, which they use for eating and grooming. Male jerboas are usually a bit bigger and heavier than females.
Their fur is soft, either silky or velvety. It's light in color, which helps them camouflage or blend in with their sandy home. This makes it harder for predators to spot them. Their fur color can range from sandy or light brown to darker reddish-brown or black. They have pale fur on their belly and a white stripe on their hip.
How Jerboas Handle Hot and Cold Weather
Jerboas are specially made for desert life. Animals that can live in dry places like deserts are called xerocoles.
When it's super hot, jerboas spend most of the day burrowed under the sand. This helps them stay cool and avoid losing too much water. Staying underground keeps them safe from the hot sun and stops them from getting dehydrated.
When it gets cold, the Small five-toed Jerboa can change its body temperature a little bit. They can adjust it by 1 to 2 degrees Celsius from their normal temperature. This helps them save heat and stay warm.
