Dipodidae Archives - NatureWorks

Dipodidae - Birch Mice, Jerboas, Jumping Mice

There are around 50 species of small rodents in this family.

Jumping mice are found in North America. One species, the Chinese jumping mouse, is found in China. Jerboas are found in northern Africa and Asia. Birch mice are found in Europe and Asia.

All of the rodents in this family have longer hind legs than front legs and get around by jumping.

Jerboas are small, mouse-like rodents. They have long, silky fur, very long hind legs, and long, tufted tails. They have tiny front legs that they don’t use at all for moving; they jump everywhere. Jerboas are nocturnal; they spend the day in burrows.

Northern Three-Toed Jerboa
(Dipus sagitta)

The northern three-toes jerboa is found in China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
Blanford’s Jerboa
(Jaculus blanfordi)

Blanford’s jerboa is found in Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
Lesser Egyptian Jerboa
(Jaculus jaculus)

The lesser Egyptian Jerboa is found in northern Africa in Algeria, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Western Sahara, and Yemen.IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
Woodland Jumping Mouse
(Napaeozapus insignis)

The woodland jumping mouse is found in the U.S. in Pennsylvania, New York, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, West Virginia, New Hampshire, Kentucky, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Virginia, Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, South Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Vermont, Maryland, Georgia, Minnesota. It is also found in Canada. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
Thick-tailed Pygmy Jerboa
(Salpingotus crassicauda)

The thick-tailed pygmy jerboa is found in China, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
Kozlov's Pygmy Jerboa
(Salpingotus kozlovi)

Kozlov's Pygmy Jerboa is found in China and Mongolia. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
Euphrates Jerboa
(Scarturus euphratica)

The Euphrates jerboa is found in Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Türkiye. Egypt. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
William’s Jerboa
(Scarturus williamsi)

William’s jerboa is found in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Türkiye. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
Northern Birch Mouse
(Sicista betulina)

The northern birch mouse is found in Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, and Ukraine. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
Meadow Jumping Mouse
(Zapus hudsonius)

The meadow jumping mouse is found in the United States and Canada. It is found in New Hampshire. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern