Thick-tailed three-toed jerboa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thick-tailed three-toed jerboa
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Dipodidae
Genus:	Stylodipus
Species:	S. telum
Binomial name
Stylodipus telum (Lichtenstein, 1823)
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The thick-tailed three-toed jerboa (Stylodipus telum) is a small, hopping animal. It looks a bit like a tiny kangaroo! This creature is a type of rodent and belongs to the Dipodidae family.

You can find these interesting animals in many countries. They live in China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Their favorite places are wide-open areas. These include steppes, deserts, and mountain grasslands. They often hide among plants like saltbush and Artemisia. They prefer sandy or clay soils.

What Does the Thick-Tailed Jerboa Look Like?

The thick-tailed three-toed jerboa is a small animal. It grows to be about 10.4 to 13.3 centimeters (4 to 5 inches) long. Its tail is usually just as long as its body! This jerboa weighs about 70 to 90 grams (2.5 to 3.2 ounces). That's about as much as a small apple.

The top of its head is dark. But the rest of its fur is a pale grayish-yellow color. It has many longer hairs with black tips. A white stripe goes across its hips. The sides of its body are straw-colored with dark spots.

How the Thick-Tailed Jerboa Lives

The thick-tailed three-toed jerboa is a nocturnal animal. This means it is active at night. During the day, it sleeps. It is also a solitary animal. This means it likes to live alone.

This jerboa builds a complex home underground. Its burrows can be very long, up to 2.5 meters (8 feet). They have many entrances. Each entrance is loosely blocked with soil. It also digs shallow burrows. These might be used by more than one jerboa. They use these as quick hiding spots.

The jerboa eats different parts of plants. It likes green leaves, bulbs, and seeds. It does not store food for the winter months.

Thick-Tailed Jerboa Reproduction

Female jerboas usually have two litters of babies each year. A litter is a group of young animals born at the same time. Each litter usually has two to four young jerboas. One litter is born in the spring. The other litter arrives in the autumn.

Is the Thick-Tailed Jerboa Safe?

The thick-tailed three-toed jerboa lives in a very large area. It is believed that there are many of them. The biggest problem it faces is losing its home. Steppe lands are being turned into farms. This means less space for the jerboas.

Scientists believe its population is slowly getting smaller. However, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has checked on it. They say its conservation status is "least concern". This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.