Jerboas are hopping desert rodents found throughout North Africa and Asia, and are members of the family Dipodidae. They tend to live in hot deserts.
Dipodoidea is a superfamily of rodents, also known as dipodoids, found across the Northern Hemisphere. This superfamily includes over 50 species among the 16 genera in 3 families. They include the jerboas, jumping mice, and birch mice. Different species are found in grassland, deserts, and forests. They are all capable of saltation, a feature that is most highly evolved in the desert-dwelling jerboas.
The Iranian jerboa is a rodent of the family Dipodidae and subfamily Allactaginae. They are characteristically known as hopping rodents and have only been found in a small population in Iran. Iranian jerboa are microhabitat specialist, they require a particular environment to provide them with specific conditions suitable for living.
The Balikun jerboa is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is found in arid areas of northwestern China and Mongolia. It eats green plants, plant roots, seeds, grasshoppers and beetles.
The small five-toed jerboa is a rodent of the family Dipodidae and genus Scarturus, that has five digits. They are hopping rodents of the rocky deserts in Asia. They have been found in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan. They have long hind feet, short forelimbs, and walk upright. The jerboa body length ranges from 5–15 cm and has a tail ranging from 7–25 cm. They have large ears in comparison to their body size and a large tail. The tail assists and serves as support when the jerboa is standing upright. These hopping rodents can reach a speed up to 48 km/h. The forelimbs of the jerboa serve as a pair of hands for feeding, grooming, etc. The male jerboa is usually larger in size and weight in comparison to the female jerboa. The pelt of the jerboa is either silky or velvety in texture and light in color, the coloration helps camouflage into surroundings to avoid predators. "Its coloration varies from sandy or buff to dark russet or black with pale under parts and a white strip on the hip”.
Hotson's jerboa or the Iranian jerboa, is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is found in Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.
The great jerboa is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is found in Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. It mainly lives in deserts.
Severtzov's jerboa is an herbivorous species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is found in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
The Mongolian five-toed jerboa or Siberian jerboa is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is found in China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It is the most widespread member of the subgenus Orientallactaga.
Bobrinski's jerboa is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is monotypic within the genus Allactodipus. It is found in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The five-toed pygmy jerboa is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is monotypic within the genus Cardiocranius. It is found in China, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia.
The northern three-toed jerboa is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is the only extant species within the genus Dipus. It ranges across Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, China and Mongolia. A common species, the International Union for Conservation of Nature rates it as being of "least concern".
Lichtenstein's jerboa is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is monotypic within the genus Eremodipus. It is found in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Blanford's jerboa is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is native to Central Asia and is found in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan.
The dwarf fat-tailed jerboa is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is found in China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia. They mostly reside in desert environments which can explain their size. They go long periods of time without food and water, which means they need a lower metabolic rate, and can be a reason for their size.
The thick-tailed three-toed jerboa is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is found in China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Its typical habitat is steppe, desert and mountain grassland where it is often found among saltbush and Artemisia in sandy or clayey soils.
Dipodinae is a subfamily of Dipodidae.
Paradipodinae is a monotypic subfamily of Dipodidae, consisting solely of the comb-toed jerboa.
