Jaculus jaculus
lesser Egyptian jerboa

Jaculus jaculus can be found in central Asia, North Africa and Arabia in countries such as Sudan, Israel, and Morocco. The species is especially common in Egypt, where it gets its common name, Lesser Egyptian Jerboa. (Brown ET AL., 1994; "Walker's Mammals of the World", 1997)

Jaculus jaculus lives in desert and semi-desert areas that can be sandy or stony. They can also be found in less numbers in rocky valleys and meadows. ("Walker's Mammals of the World", 1997)

Jaculus jaculus is the smallest species in the genus Jaculus. It is very small with a darkish back and lighter colored underbelly. There is also a light-colored stripe across its hip. Jerboas are a lot like a tiny kangaroo in locomotion and posture. The hind feet are incredibly large, 50 to 75 mm, and used for jumping. Each hind foot has three toes. The tail is very long, 128 to 250 mm, with a clump of hairs at the tip which is used for balance. It has moderately large eyes and ears. Females are larger than males. ("BBC - Nature Wildfacts", 2002; "Walker's Mammals of the World", 1997)

Not much is known about the mating system of J. jaculus because they are solitary and nocturnal. However, it appears as though a male will mate with any number of females he comes across, while a female will mate with only one male.

A male jerboa attracts a mate by standing on his hind legs in front of a female. When the female approaches, he faces her and slaps her at regular intervals with his short front limbs. Lesser Egyptian jerboas breed at least twice yearly, and every three months in captivity. Breeding occurs from June to July and from October to December. Females have an average of 3 young per litter. Young reach independence at 8 to 10 weeks, and become sexually mature at 8 to 12 months. ("BBC - Nature Wildfacts", 2002; Happold, 1967)

Jaculus jaculus bred in captivity do not survive. The mother will not touch the pups after they are born. In one case, the mother kicked the babies out of the nest. In the wild, however, the babies and the female are brought into close contact in the burrow. At birth, the pups are hairless and tiny with a head and body around 25 mm, tail around 16 mm. They weigh about 2 g and their hind feet are much shorter in proportion to adults at around 9 mm. Their eyes are closed over, but they can crawl around using their front limbs. The young will not leave the burrow until they are able to be self-sufficient at around 8 weeks of age. (Happold, 1967)

Jaculus jaculus cannot be bred in captivity due to lack of maternal care. However, captured young jerboas have been successfully tamed and kept as pets. These tame jerboas can live up to 6 years. The oldest jerboa found in the wild was 4 years old. ("BBC - Nature Wildfacts", 2002; "UAE INTERACT", 2000; Happold, 1967)

Jaculus jaculus moves around only at night when it is cooler in the desert. They are solitary creatures that dig burrows in the sand in a counterclockwise spiral. The burrows are dug in hard ground and go to a depth of around 1.2 meters. There are a couple of additional exits off of the main burrow, and the nest is at the very bottom. Jerboas move by hopping along the terrain with their huge hind legs. One leap can be several meters in length. They have a molting season from March to July. An interesting thing about these animals is their activity of sandbathing. They make a shallow hollow in the sand by digging it out, then lay in it and rub their bodies along the sides. During hot spells and dry periods, J. jaculus aestivates in its burrow. It has been debated that J. jaculus hibernates in the winter, but only a few individuals have been known to do so. ("UAE INTERACT", 2000; Happold, 1967; "Walker's Mammals of the World", 1997)

Jerboas leave their burrow after sundown and can travel long distances, about 10 km, away from it in search of food. They can cover a lot of ground quickly because of their huge feet and hopping stride. ("Walker's Mammals of the World", 1997)

Because J. jaculus is solitary, not much is known about how individuals communicate with one another. Animals in captivity seem to recognize each other by smell. They close their eyes and come together until thier noses touch and keep contact for 1 to 5 seconds in this way. (Happold, 1967)

Although lesser Egyptian jerboas lives in the desert, they do not drink, depending on the greens and insects that they eat to provide enough water and moisture. Their diet consists of roots, grass, seeds, grains, with some insects. (Happold, 1967; "Walker's Mammals of the World", 1997)

Jaculus jaculus is very fast when hopping and escape seems to be its defense against predators. Individuals often run down into their burrows to get away as well. They do not bite often when handled, so they do not have any real means of defense against predators when caught. The predators of this species are desert carnivores including pallid foxes (Vulpes pallida), Nile foxes (Vulpes vulpes), striped weasels (Ictonyx striatus), saw-scaled vipers (Echis carinatus), and moila snakes (Malpolon moilensis). Some humans eat jerboas as well. (Happold, 1967)

Jaculus jaculus as prey provides nourishment and water to other animals in the desert. It helps to disperse seeds in the desert. A vacated jerboa burrow could become home to spiders and scorpions. Jerboas are also homes themselves for numerous kinds of parasites such as ticks, fleas, mites, lice. (Happold, 1967)

Some humans eat jerboas for food. Jerboas are becoming popular pets because they are easily tameable and do not commonly bite. (Happold, 1967)

There are no known adverse affects of J. jaculus on humans.

As of right now, this species is not on any conservation lists.