跳鼠總科（Dipodidae）源自希臘文 δύο (dýo, 「兩」) 和希臘文 πόδι (podi, 「腳」),意思是「兩隻腳」,指的是這些動物的特徵是後腳伸長,適合用來跳躍.

Dipodidae, from Greek δύο (dýo, “two”) and Greek πόδι (podi, “foot”), means “two feet”, in reference to the characteristic feature of these animals having elongated hind legs adapted for jumping.

種的俗名 Common names of members

跳鼠 Jerboas.

分佈 Distribution 

北非及亞洲.

North Africa and Asia.

體型 Size

牠的身體長度,包括頭部在內,從 4 到 26 公分不等.尾巴總是比身體長,多出 7 到 30 公分.

Its body length, including the head, ranges from 4 to 26 cm. Its tail, which is always longer than its body, is an extra 7 to 30 cm.

形態描述 Morphology

牠們有著長尾巴、短前肢和長後肢,看起來很像袖珍型的袋鼠.牠們位於頭骨底部的大腦孔(foramen magnum)向前移位,有助於更好的雙腳行走.許多種類的尾巴末端都有一簇白色毛髮,有時甚至比頭部或身體還長.牠們通常有柔軟的毛皮,顏色像沙子般.一些種類,例如兔子,有著長耳朵;而其他種類,如老鼠或大鼠,則有短耳朵.

With their long tails, short forelegs, and lengthy hind legs, they resemble tiny kangaroos. Their forward-shifted foramen magnum, or the opening at the base of the skull, facilitates better two-legged movement. They often have a white hair cluster at the end of their tail, which can grow longer than their head or body. They have soft fur that is typically the color of sand. Certain species, like rabbits, have long ears, whereas other species, such mice or rats, have short ears.

生態與棲息地 Habitat & Ecology

開闊的乾旱棲息地,例如沙漠.

Open arid habitats, such as deserts.

食性 Diet

這些動物無法攝取硬質種子,因此牠們的主要食物來源是植物體.某些種類會主動捕食遇到的甲蟲和其他昆蟲.

They cannot ingest hard seeds; therefore, the majority of their diet consists of plant material. Certain species willfully consume beetles and other insects they come into contact with.

繁殖 Reproduction 

牠們可能是一雄多雌制的.通常,交配發生在牠們冬眠後不久.雌性在夏季交配兩次後,會撫育 2 到 6 隻幼鳥.妊娠期為 25 至 35 天.雌性會餵哺母乳並照顧幼鳥,直到幼鳥斷奶為止,這與大多數其他哺乳類動物的做法很相似.

They might be multiple. Usually, mating occurs soon after emerging from their winter hibernation. A female raises two to six young after mating twice in the summer. The gestation period lasts for 25 to 35 days. Females breastfeed and tend to their young until they are weaned, much like most other mammals do.

已知的物種

Total species known

37

博物館收藏的物種

Species in the collection

2

在香港已知的物種

Species in Hong Kong

0

Reference

Macdonald, D. W. (2006). The Encyclopedia of mammals. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acref/9780199206087.001.0001.

Savage, R. J. G., Long, M. R. (1986). Mammal Evolution: an illustrated guide. Facts on File.

Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Moore, T.Y., Rivera, A.M. & Biewener, A.A. (2017). Vertical leaping mechanics of the Lesser Egyptian Jerboa reveal specialization for maneuverability rather than elastic energy storage. Frontiers in Zoology, 14(32) https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-017-0215-z. 

Russo, G. A., Kirk, E. C. (2013). Foramen magnum position in bipedal mammals. Journal of Human Evolution, 65(5). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.07.007.