An integral part of nature is the richest animal world of our planet. Our smaller brothers live in forests, steppes and deserts - various warm-blooded mammals. They need to be cared for and protected from poachers. Only in this case, future generations will be able to contemplate the amazing fauna of the Earth.

Today we will tell you about the jerboa - one of the funniest representatives of the largest order of mammals "rodents".

Habitat

Jerboa is a fairly large family of rodents; live on almost all continents. Namely, in the steppes, semi-deserts and deserts of the Palearctic. The latter refers to the following geographic regions:

• South of Europe.
• Asia north of the Himalayas, excluding
• down to the south of the Sahara.

This section briefly answers the question of where the jerboa lives.

Appearance

The jerboa is a small rodent, reaching a length of 4 to 25 centimeters (depending on the species). Differs in a small body and a long tail with a tassel. The funny thing is that the tail is sometimes longer than the body. The tassel also serves as a rudder for long jumps - this is how the animal moves in a funny way.

The muzzle of the jerboa is rounded downwards. Two large eyes and two long ears clearly stand out on it. The teeth of the rodent are also interesting: their number varies from 16 to 18 pieces, depending on the species, but the sharpness of the fangs is inherent in all representatives of this family.

The color of the rodent is represented by the richest palette of brown - from copper to beige. It depends on the color of the soil of the natural zone that the animal has chosen for life. For example, the steppe jerboa will have a light brown coat. The color will exactly match the color of the soil inherent in this strip. The jerboa in the desert will be more red to merge with the endless sands that go beyond the horizon.

Wise nature disposed of in this way in order to protect the small animal from birds of prey.

Strengths and weaknesses of jerboas

The description of the jerboa is unthinkable without focusing on its interesting external features.

These rodents have the following organs:

• Hind legs. All 26 species of jerboas have very strong hind legs. It is with their help that the animal can jump so quickly and funny.
• The ears are large and long, clearly capturing all the sounds of the desert starry night.
• Mustache - length reaches to the heels. The most important of these small mammals.

It is the organs listed above that are vital for jerboas. Due to the ears and whiskers, the small animal feels the approaching predator, and strong paws help the rodent quickly escape into a cozy mink.

But sight and smell are poorly developed in jerboas.

Similarity to a gourmet rat

A typical jerboa is remarkably similar to the funny cartoon character Ratatouille. He is just as fast, smart and direct. Watching the life of this rodent is no less interesting than watching a fascinating cartoon.

Nimble and shy nocturnal desert dweller

This chapter will tell you about the life of jerboas in the wild. These amazing rodents lead a certain lifestyle, consider its features:

• Isolation. Jerboas walk on their own, and approach only for the reproduction of offspring.
• They stay awake at night and rest in burrows during the day.
• They don't like to take risks. A small and nimble animal will never get out of its home unnecessarily, because it knows how dangerous and cruel the animal world is.
• They are excellent diggers. This skill is required to build underground dwellings. Very often, the rodent encounters compacted soil, which you can no longer rake with your front paws. In this case, sharp front fangs are used. In this example, you can again see how harmonious and correct Mother Nature is.

underground dwellings

These little rodents are excellent builders and just love to build cozy minks. Jerboas build underground dwellings using sharp fangs and powerful front legs. They break through underground passages, sometimes reaching up to one and a half to two meters in depth. It is at this distance that the warm nests of jerboas are located. They are made of wool, fluff, moss and dry leaves. A jerboa builds a cozy abode for itself, the photo only confirms this.

Dwellings in jerboas are:

• Temporary.
• Permanent.

The latter, in turn, are divided into:

• Summer.
• Wintering.

Temporary dwellings of jerboas are simpler and located at shallow depths. The permanent burrow, on the other hand, is deep. The path to it can be up to six meters long, and, in addition to the main labyrinth, the rodent necessarily makes additional branches for the exit.

Science also knows cases of life of jerboas in abandoned ground squirrel burrows.

Winter dormouse and spring womanizer

All jerboas are characterized by hibernation. They fall into it with the onset of the first autumn cold (around October). The rodents rest in their burrows for about four months. True, sometimes they wake up for a short period of time. As a rule, this is associated with a sharp warming.

Having thoroughly slept off and having absorbed the calories accumulated over the summer, the jerboa is ready for reproduction. Spring is the mating season for these rodents. It ends with a 25-day pregnancy of the female. On average, she gives birth to 3 to 6 cubs. For a month and a half, small rodents enjoy the care of their mother. At the end of this period, they leave their native nests and go to adulthood.

in a desert?

These rodents are omnivores. But the greatest preference is given to food of plant origin. The true delicacies are various seeds, shoots and roots of plants. The rodent will not refuse from the nutritious seeds of watermelons, melons and cereals. If during the night the rodent failed to find a life-giving oasis with green vegetation, it may well be content with insects and their larvae.

Another interesting fact is that the jerboa does not drink water at all. The juices of those plants that he eats are enough for him. This section answers the question of what the jerboa eats in the desert.

Predators and natural facts that destroy jerboas

It is clear that desert animals can be dangerous. Jerboa should be avoided:

• Reptiles.
• large mammals.
• Birds of prey (eagles and hawks).

Also, the anthropogenic factor strongly affects the population of jerboas. With the development of new natural territories by man (for example, the construction of high-rise buildings), the habitat of rodents also decreases.

This once again suggests that a person is obliged to reckon with the surrounding animal world.

Types of jerboas

Lizards, snakes, steppe wolves and tropical insects are typical desert animals. The jerboa is also a resident of these places.

Scientists count 26 different species of these mammals (where the jerboa lives, read on). On the territory of our country, these rodents live in the steppes and semi-deserts of southern Siberia. Their habitat covers the Altai Territory, Transbaikalia and the southern regions of the Republic of Tuva.

We will analyze the most interesting representatives of the jerboa family, including species that live in Russia. We will also tell you what the jerboa eats in the desert in more detail.

long-eared jerboa

An inhabitant of the northern regions of China - Xinjiang and Alanashi. Sometimes found in the south of Siberia. It is clear that jerboas have no problems crossing the border.

It reaches a length of 9 centimeters, has very long ears and antennae. The latter often reach the ground. The tail of this jerboa is longer than the body, and the brush at the end has a rounded shape. The coat color of the animal is gray with a reddish tint. The flanks and belly are white, and the tuft on the tail is black.
Here is such a funny jerboa you can meet when traveling through the amazing Altai Territory. Only exclusively at night.

Five-toed pygmy jerboa

Until recently, it was considered exclusively an inhabitant of the Gobi Desert. But in 1961, a group of Soviet biologists led by Danila Berman discovered this species in the south of the Republic of Tuva.

The jerboa is very small: it reaches a length of 5 to 6 cm. The tail is larger than the body and is 8 cm. The eyes of the pygmy jerboa are typically large, and the ears, on the contrary, are small. The hind legs have five toes and are very well developed.

Five-toed pygmy jerboas are nocturnal. Minks are built in the spring at shallow depths. Sometimes they can borrow a home from their fellow Siberian jerboa.

What does a jerboa eat in the desert? A favorite delicacy is feather grass seeds. In the absence of these, it is content with insects.

Large jerboa (ground hare)

The largest representative of this family of rodents. In length it can reach up to 26 centimeters. The animal is distinguished by a long tail with a pretty brush, shaped like an elongated drop. The color of the earth hare is light brown, the shade of the skin changes depending on the habitat of the rodent.

Recognized as the northernmost jerboa in terms of habitat. Most often it can be found in the steppes of Kazakhstan and in southern Siberia; a little less often - along the southern tributaries of the Kama and Oka. Even the inhabitants of the Crimea sometimes notice an earthen hare that has climbed to eat delicious millet or rye seeds on the territory of some remote farm.

The earth hare is a graceful and beautiful jerboa. The photo speaks for itself.

jumper jerboa

This rodent is slightly inferior in size to the earthen hare. Its length reaches from 19 to 22 centimeters. The hair of the jumper is either ocher-brown or yellowish-gray. It feeds on seeds, green parts and bulbs of plants, as well as insects.

Habitat - steppes and sandy deserts of Central Asia (South-Eastern Altai and Northern Uzbekistan). Often lives in the mountains at an altitude of up to two kilometers above sea level. Sometimes it is called steppe jerboa.

emiranchik

Oddly enough, but this glorious animal is also a jerboa. The animal is quite small - it grows up to 12 centimeters. The tail, as always, exceeds the length of the body and reaches 16 centimeters.

It differs from all other types of jerboas in that it lives in clay steppes and gravelly deserts. However, sometimes found on sandy soils.

This rare species is common in Russia. It lives in the Dnieper region, in the south of the Volga region and next to it. Also, some animals of this species inhabit the steppes of Kazakhstan.

Pet or nocturnal desert dweller?

Of course, the jerboa can be kept as a pet.

But will a true desert dweller be happy in a locked cage? Nature has endowed the jerboa with powerful hind legs so that it can jump and run in the wild, hunt for insect larvae and look for nutritious plant stems (the description of the jerboa is presented above). Locked up, he will not be able to fulfill his natural needs. Therefore, the answer is obvious - the correct place of residence of the jerboa is, of course, wildlife.

• Moves exclusively on two hind legs.
• Running away from a predator, develops speed up to 40 km/h.
• Real neat, not like some upright! During the night, an amazing animal takes care of its fur from 20 to 30 times.
• Some types of jerboas are so tiny that they fit easily into a tablespoon.
• During the day, the rodent independently regulates its body temperature. Sometimes fluctuations are as much as 15 degrees! This is due to the very large difference between day and night temperatures in the desert. For example, in the Negev (this is a desert in the Middle East), it can be + 30 during the day, and only + 9 at night. That is why desert animals are perfectly adapted to the strongest pressure and temperature drops.
• Excess fat accumulates in the animal in the tail. It is from it that one can judge the state of health of a particular jerboa.

The world of jerboas is interesting and multifaceted. We have considered only a small part of the interesting features of these funny animals. Nature generously rewarded jerboas with the necessary skills that help them survive in a cruel, but surprisingly interesting

The large jerboa is a bright representative of the genus of earthen hares. This creature, in the process of evolution and adaptation to its natural habitat, has developed its own unique style of movement. In some areas, the large jerboa is on the verge of extinction, as its habitat is constantly shrinking due to human activities. Steppe reserves are perhaps the only refuge for large populations of these creatures.

Large jerboa - a bright representative of the genus of earthen hares

In addition to natural enemies, large jerboas have to constantly compete with other rodent species for food. Given their hidden lifestyle, many people have no idea what a jerboa looks like or where they live. Despite the fact that in the natural environment these small animals constantly face seemingly insurmountable difficulties, in some regions their number is rapidly increasing.

This animal is the largest representative of the genus of earthen hares. Now there is a complete description of this species. The body length of an adult is approximately 19-26 cm. Males are usually larger in size. The tail of a jerboa, as a rule, is 1.3 times the length of the body and is about 25-30 cm. There is usually a fluffy tassel at its end. Such a tail is necessary for the animal to maintain the balance of the body while running. In addition, fat accumulates in it, which later helps the animal survive the winter season. The body weight of these creatures does not exceed 300 g. The muzzle of the jerboa is wide, but slightly elongated. She is crowned with a characteristic piglet. The eyes of jerboas are set very high. They are large in size. The ears are quite long. Often they reach 6 cm.

These creatures are distinguished by subtle hearing. Any wrong rustle leads to the fact that a large steppe jerboa takes off running, wanting to get into its hole. The external description of representatives of different sexes of these creatures is similar. This long-eared jerboa also has very large feet, which can reach up to about 45% of the body. The eared animal moves exclusively on its hind legs. They can reach about 20 cm. Many other types of jerboas have a similar description of the structure, but at the same time they are even more modest in size. This is no coincidence, since they all came from the same ancestor. Since these creatures look very exotic, they have been successfully tamed. However, only the domestic jerboa has already lost the ability to live in the wild, and besides, it is not a carrier of various dangerous diseases. Thus, only a tamed animal can be considered completely safe for humans.

Large, like the shag-legged jerboa, it is an excellent jumper. In one push, he can overcome more than 1.5 m. This is possible due to the structure of the lower legs. It is known that these animals can move not only through long jumps, but also by rearranging their paws. It is when running that a long tail helps them to maintain balance when the animal needs to transfer body weight from one paw to another. However, the jerboa gained fame as a jumper. On elongated feet, reaching a length of more than 10 cm, the lateral fingers, that is, the 1st and 5th, are poorly developed. Having a similar structure of paws, the long-eared jerboa can reach speeds of up to 50 km per hour, which allows it to avoid natural enemies. Only a furry-legged jerboa, which has a similar structure of paws, can be a real competitor in speed to a large earthen hare. Among the animals of the desert, the jerboa is perhaps the fastest rodent.

The forelimbs of this animal are greatly reduced, as they are used exclusively in the process of feeding. In addition, the large jerboa uses them for burrowing. The animal has a warm fur cover. Its color largely depends on where the jerboas live. Usually the top coat is brownish-gray with a rusty tinge. On the abdomen and chest, the fur is whitish-grayish in color. This makes it almost invisible on the ground and in withered foliage. The desert jerboa may have a uniform yellowish-brown coat color. It also contributes to camouflage.

Lesser jerboa (video)

Gallery: large jerboa (25 photos)

Distribution area of ​​the big jerboa

This animal prefers to settle in forest-steppe and desert zones. Its largest population is represented in Eastern Europe, Kazakhstan and Western Siberia. Due to the good adaptability of the natural habitat, the large jerboa has spread much further than other members of the family. Its habitat extends up to 55 ° north latitude. For example, the long-legged jerboa can no longer live here, since the climatic conditions are too harsh for it.

The population of these animals in different areas is uneven. The range of large jerboas extends to the steppes near the Black Sea and extends up to the Altai Mountains. These animals try to avoid plowed lands, as loose soil does not allow them to dig shelters. In some regions where jerboas were previously very common, they are now completely extinct. In some areas, for example, in Kazakhstan and on the left bank of Ukraine, this species is on the verge of extinction. In many regions, this species of ground hare shares its natural environment with other members of this family. For example, the upland jerboa has a similar distribution area, but at the same time, its large population is found in areas characterized by a relatively warm climate and mild winters.

African jerboas (video)

Lifestyle and reproduction of a large jerboa

It is now known that these animals are an extremely important link in the food chain. These little creatures have a lot of natural enemies. They are actively hunted:

• steppe snakes;
• some types of lizards;
• predator birds;
• wolves;
• foxes.

Thus, not a single predator will miss its chance to taste the earthen hare, if they have the opportunity. Snakes are a particular threat to warm-blooded animals. The large jerboa, like the upland-legged jerboa, is nocturnal, therefore it often becomes the prey of owls, which, thanks to their excellent night vision and hearing, can detect a rodent that has left its hole to find food. Thanks to the developed sense organs, animals can avoid dangers. If this creature notices signs of a predator approaching, it takes to its heels. The jerboa is primarily a herbivore. His favorite foods are:

• wormwood leaves;
• bulbs of lily plants;
• seeds of melons and cereals.

In rare cases, these creatures can eat insects. In the spring, they harm agricultural land, as they often hunt on sown fields, digging up buried seeds. After the appearance of juicy green grass, the beast begins to feed on it. In the daytime, the animals always hide in burrows. There is usually only 1 nesting chamber, the entrance to which the jerboa blocks with an earthen embankment in order to protect itself from a sudden attack by a snake. There may be emergency exits in the hole in case of unexpected guests.

The breeding season in animals begins in late spring. Representatives of different sexes, who usually lead a solitary lifestyle, begin to make screams to attract a partner. Pregnancy lasts about 25 days.

In late spring or early summer, the female brings offspring, which can include from 2 to 8 cubs. She feeds herself. In some regions, these creatures bring 2 offspring. The young animals stay with the female for 1.5 months, then go to self-feeding in order to stock up on enough fat and survive the winter.

These animals hibernate. For wintering, they dig deeper holes, the length of which can be about 2.5 m.

In winter, jerboas do not eat, so they do not make stocks. Juveniles reach adulthood at 2 years of age. The average life expectancy of these creatures in nature is about 3 years. More recently, fishing for jerboas was carried out in various regions, including Kazakhstan, but it has been discontinued. One of the reasons for stopping the harvesting of skins is the fact that the animal is a natural carrier of tularemia, plague and some types of fevers.

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jerboas live mainly in Africa and Asia, but some species live in Europe and one in North America. Jerboas in appearance resemble. Thanks to their long hind legs, they easily jump over distances up to 20 times their body length. All species have a thick, soft, sandy-colored coat, since all jerboas love to settle in grassy steppes and dry plains.

These animals live in shallow burrows with many emergency exits, in case of a swift flight. In case of danger, the jerboa rushes headlong into its hole, uttering a screech similar to the cry of young kittens. Only the largest of the jerboas defend themselves with their hind legs, like.

For humans, these creatures are completely harmless and quite often settle near human habitation. These animals are easily tamed and with their qualities win over everyone. They are very harmless, affectionate, tame, clean, and in a cheerful state they are so frisky and cheerful that you can admire them for hours.

Jerboas feed on plants and insects, and some species feed on birds and their eggs. They have 5-7 cubs per litter. An interesting fact is that in some areas of Central Asia, jerboas are called "midshipmen". Isn't it very strange that a steppe animal suddenly received a sea nickname.

There are only 5 types of jerboas: emaranchik, earthen hare, five-legged, long-eared and jumping jerboa. So who is jumping jerboa? Where does it live? Today we will talk about the last of the types of jerboas, and we will start with its characteristics.

Description of jumping jerboa

jumper jerboa- a large animal, growing in length 19-22 cm. Its muzzle is elongated, but flattened, five-fingered limbs, large ears. The animal differs with its fur coat, color gray-yellowish or brown. The tail of the jumper is well developed, its main part is painted black, and the tip is white. How is it different from other types? At the jumping jerboa a narrower head, and the stigma is elongated, and in some species the fingers are dressed in peculiar combs that form sparse bristles. By the way, if you look closely, you can find light ripples on the back. In wild nature, jerboa lives no more than three years.

WHERE THE JERBOA JUMPER LIVES AND WHAT EATS

What does the jumping jerboa eat in nature

jerboas- beings are omnivores, but still prefer plant foods. feed on various insects and their larvae, seeds, green parts of plants and their bulbs, roots and shoots of plants. They love to eat cereals, watermelon and melon seeds. And they don't drink water at all! The rodent has enough juice from the plants that he ate.

Where does the jumping jerboa live

Jumping jerboa lives in the steppes and deserts. Habitat- dry or clay steppes, gravel deserts, mountain steppe, lake basins, in the south-east of Transbaikalia in cereal steppes. But you can meet him near the river, near a pine forest, in the steppes with a tyrsa, in a semi-desert.

The rodent is nocturnal, like all jerboas. His activity falls on the night before dawn, he jumps in search of food and adventure. And since he is the fastest among his fellows (that's why he got his name "jumper"), he is not very afraid of predators. At the jerboa there is always a hole in which he lives permanently, and temporary, for example, running away from predators, or a hole for the winter. A permanent mink pulls out up to 5 meters with a large number of entrances and exits, while temporary ones are 35-65 cm.

Jerboas begin to mate in April and finish in July. The female brings from one to three babies in a litter. In autumn, the animals gain weight before the cold winter, so the tail noticeably increases. And this species falls into hibernation later than its counterparts, they walk up to 15 degrees of frost or more, and wake up from hibernation in March-April in a natural way.

VIDEO: ABOUT NUTRITION OF Jerboas

IN THIS VIDEO YOU CAN LEARN HOW TO FEED Jerboas CORRECTLY

The large jerboa (lat. Allactaga major) is the largest representative of the Jerboa family (Dipodidae). This medium-sized rodent is also called the ground hare.

If necessary, he is able to run a distance of up to 2 km at a speed of up to 50 km / h, making jumps up to 3 m in length, which is 10 times more than his own body. During such a run, the animal looks like it is flying above the ground, pushing off with one or the other paw and not making sharp turns.

Spreading

This species is distributed in the steppe zone of Eurasia. Its habitat 100 years ago extended from Western Ukraine through the southern part of Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Southern Siberia to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. Currently, large jerboas are much less common due to the destruction of their natural habitat.

In Ukraine, they are observed mainly in the Black Sea lowland, in recent years there have been reports of their appearance in the forest-steppe zone. The largest population is preserved in the Kazakh steppes.

Earth hares settle mainly on flat terrain near pastures and ravines. They are attracted to grassy meadows and the outskirts of cultivated land with a predominance of clay soils. They thrive in arid and semi-arid regions where succulents grow. In the foothills of Altai, they are found at altitudes up to 1600 m above sea level.

Behavior

The large jerboa leads a solitary nocturnal lifestyle. During the day, he hides in an underground shelter, which he digs out on his own. Near the northern borders of the range, the animal often prefers to use the abandoned ground squirrels (Citellus) burrows.

The rodent builds various burrows depending on the time of the year.

It digs long horizontal corridors up to 6 m long, which end in a sharp depression in the nesting chamber, located at a depth of 60-120 cm in summer and 150-250 cm in winter. The entrance to the shelter during daylight hours is clogged with an earthen plug. Several emergency exits depart from the corridor, which end in close proximity to the soil surface.

The ball-shaped nest is located in the nesting chamber and is lined from the inside with dry grass, mosses and tufts of fur. In winter shelter there may be 2-3 nests at different depths. In spring and autumn, the jerboa builds temporary shallow shelters, directed at an angle into the ground. The main tool for digging holes is the front teeth (incisors), paws in this matter play a secondary role. The excavated soil is more often moved by the nose, used as a snout in pigs.

The diet consists of food of plant origin. A favorite delicacy is goose onion bulbs (Gagea). In its absence, the animal likes to feed on cereal grains or the bark of shrubs. He can be content with any green grass and plant seeds.

The earthen hare periodically supplements its vegetarian menu with small insects and land mollusks. During the night, in search of food, the eared creature travels about 4 km.

With the onset of the first frosts, the large jerboa falls into hibernation and wakes up in late March or early April. After waking up, his ears hang down to the sides for some time, until the work of the blood vessels and muscles is restored.

During the winter, the body weight of the jerboa decreases by almost 2 times due to the accumulated fat reserves.

reproduction

Reproduction of this species in the wild is still poorly understood. The animal is very cautious and will never leave its hiding place, suspecting the slightest danger. Depending on climatic conditions and abundance of food, the female is able to bring offspring during one season 1-2 times. Most often, the peak of fertility occurs in the spring months.

Pregnancy lasts approximately 25 days. There are usually 3-6 babies in a litter. They live with their mother until about one and a half months of age, and then they scatter in different directions and build underground shelters for themselves. Sexual maturity occurs in the second year of life.

Description

The body length of adults is 18-26 cm, and the tail is 23-31 cm. Weight ranges from 280 to 420 g. The fur is soft and silky. The color is predominantly gray-brown with a sandy tinge. The sides are lighter with a yellowish tint. A white stripe runs across the thighs. Chin, throat and belly are snow-white. The black and white tail "banner" (tassel) resembles a bird's feather. The tail serves as a rudder for fast movement.

The length of the hind limbs reaches 80-98 mm. They have five well-developed fingers, which are clearly separated from each other and armed with claws. The front legs are very small. The ears are large, erect, rounded and covered with sparse hair, 50-64 mm. They are especially large in animals living in the south of the range.

The head is relatively large, and the neck is almost absent. There are 18 teeth in the oral cavity. Characteristic is the presence of incisors and diastema in the upper jaw. Behind the incisors are a premolar and three molars. There are no premolars in the lower jaw.

Life expectancy in natural conditions usually does not exceed 3 years.

Keeping a large jerboa in captivity

Keeping this cute and agile animal at home is quite troublesome. He must have enough space to run and jump. Lack of physical activity leads to hypodynamia and weakened immunity. The animal is very clean, loves to clean the fur and chooses a place for the toilet itself. It is simply impossible to impose on him a place where he will relieve himself.

Despite all the efforts of the owner, the earth hare remains wild. He can approach hands and even let himself be stroked, but you can’t call him tame. Any communication with a person leads to stress, especially during the daytime.

Jerboas are kept in the most spacious enclosure that can be placed in an apartment. The height of the enclosure must be at least 1 m, as they easily jump up to 50 cm and can hit the low cover. Inside you can not use objects of artificial origin. The rodent will gnaw any products, and the ingress of plastic into its body will inevitably lead to death.

A layer of soil is laid out at the bottom of the cage or aviary, on which grass has been previously grown. You can limit yourself to a thick layer of sand. The use of hard ground is unacceptable, which leads to injuries to the limbs. Be sure to have clean bowls for food and drinking bowls with fresh water.

At the first opportunity, freedom-loving little animals run away from captivity and hide in a secluded place. At night, they are able to gnaw a hole in concrete to a depth of 20-30 cm or up to 45-50 cm in a brick wall and hide in it.

Feed your pet a mixture of grains, fruits and vegetables. It is useful to feed the seeds of pumpkin, watermelon, sunflower, carrots, beets, apples, pears, potatoes, willow branches and fruit trees. Crickets, grasshoppers, mealworms and other small insects should be given regularly.

With good care, a large jerboa can live up to 4-5 years in captivity.