Head to head
Fat-tailed Gerbil vs Great Jerboa
Fat-tailed Gerbil
VS Great Jerboa
The fat-tailed gerbil and great jerboa are both nocturnal burrowing rodents of dry country, but they solve desert life in opposite ways, one with a fat-storing tail and the other with extreme leaping legs.
| Fat-tailed Gerbil | Great Jerboa | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Pachyuromys duprasi | Allactaga major |
| Group | A gerbil | A jerboa |
| Tail | Short, thick, and club-shaped, storing fat | Long and tufted, used for balance while leaping |
| Build | Plump, stocky, and round | Among the largest jerboas, with greatly elongated hind legs |
| Movement | Not a specialist jumper | Leaps several metres in a single bound |
| Activity | Nocturnal, sheltering in burrows by day | Nocturnal, sheltering in burrows by day |
| Native range | Deserts of North Africa, including the Sahara | Desert and steppe of Central Asia and parts of Eastern Europe |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Fat-tailed Gerbil vs Great Jerboa: common questions
How do the tails of the fat-tailed gerbil and great jerboa differ?
The fat-tailed gerbil has a short, thick tail that stores fat, while the great jerboa has a long, tufted tail used for balance when leaping.
Which can jump farther, the fat-tailed gerbil or the great jerboa?
The great jerboa, which can leap several metres in a single bound on its long hind legs, while the fat-tailed gerbil is not a specialist jumper.
Do the fat-tailed gerbil and great jerboa live in the same places?
No, the fat-tailed gerbil lives in North African deserts, while the great jerboa lives in the deserts and steppe of Central Asia and parts of Eastern Europe.