Their preferred method of locomotion is the hop, yet they're unrelated to other hopping animals like kangaroos: Hopping is simply the most efficient way to get across any appreciable distance in the desert. Sand is such a malleable surface that each footstep is a battle, and therefore walking is not economically viable from a caloric point of view -- it helps that jerboas have little hairs on their feet that act like adorable snowshoes. During World War II, British soldiers in North Africa were so impressed by the crafty critters that they became the brigade's official mascot:
British Army
The Nazis were surely shaking in terror.
This type of jerboa also boasts some audacious auricles -- almost no other animal has such a large disproportion between ears and body. But this is yet another evolutionary advantage, as the large ears allow for heat to dissipate from jerboa to air, cooling it down faster than a creature of the short-eared persuasion.
BBC
Although significantly less aerodynamic.
249 Comments