Head to head
Meadow Jumping Mouse vs Great Jerboa
Meadow Jumping Mouse
VS Great Jerboa
The meadow jumping mouse and great jerboa belong to the same family of jumping rodents, but one hibernates in damp North American meadows while the other bounds across the open steppe of Central Asia.
| Meadow Jumping Mouse | Great Jerboa | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Zapus hudsonius | Allactaga major |
| Family link | A jumping mouse, in the same family as the jerboas | A jerboa, among the largest members of its family |
| Range and habitat | Moist meadows and stream banks across much of Canada and the northern and eastern United States | Desert and grassland steppe across Central Asia and parts of Eastern Europe |
| Leaping | Bounds several times its body length when startled | Can leap several metres in a single bound |
| Tail | Longer than its head and body, used for balance when it leaps | Long tail, often tipped with a tuft, used for balance during leaps |
| Seasonal and daily life | Hibernates for much of the year in an underground nest | Shelters in burrows by day and forages at night |
| Diet | Omnivore, eating seeds, fruit, and insects, along with underground fungi | Herbivore, eating seeds, roots, and green vegetation |
| Conservation status | Least Concern, though the Preble's subspecies is listed as threatened in the United States | Least Concern |
Meadow Jumping Mouse vs Great Jerboa: common questions
Is the meadow jumping mouse related to the great jerboa?
Yes, the meadow jumping mouse belongs to the same family as the jerboas, which are also famous jumpers.
Which one hibernates?
The meadow jumping mouse, which spends much of the year hibernating in an underground nest, while the great jerboa shelters in burrows by day and forages at night.
Where do the meadow jumping mouse and great jerboa live?
The meadow jumping mouse lives in moist meadows across Canada and the northern and eastern United States, while the great jerboa lives on desert and grassland steppe in Central Asia and parts of Eastern Europe.