Long Eared Jerboa

Different phases of a jerboa lifecycle | Long Eared Jerboa

A little creature that resembles both rat and kangaroo at the same time, this is jerboa for you. The habitat mostly found in parts of Africa, Asia and Europe are jumping rodents and they are known for their long hind legs. The front legs however are shorter and hopping is one of the main characteristics of a jerboa.

Like any other animal, Jerboas also go through certain phases of their life, which is known as jerboa life cycle. The different phases are mentioned below:

Courtship

Like most of the other mammals, jerboas are also colony based creatures and generally a jerboa finds its mate within the colony itself. Similar to other mammals, after the meeting is complete, copulation of a male and female jerboa lead to fertilization of the female’s eggs inside her reproductive tracts. A jerboa generally starts searching for its partner after completion of the first hibernation of its life.

Formation of zygote

After mating procedure is completed, the gametes and eggs join with each other leading formation of zygote which is nothing but a fertilized egg. For protecting during gestation, this zygote finds its home inside the female jerboa body. The gestation period lasts for 4-5 weeks.

Birth of pups

Generally, jerboas go through a single litter per year. The only exception is seen among the jerboas found in dryer regions and they sometimes have two litters in a single season. In a single litter, generally, 3-11 pups are found to be born.

Colony Lifestyle

The responsibility of a new pup is not only of the new mother, but of the entire colony for jerboas. The young pups are protected inside the birthing chambers of underground tunnels, where jerboas live. When for some reason, the colony needs to move, it becomes the task of the entire colony to protect pups on the way to their new home. In addition, these young pups learn some basic tactics while living in the colony itself.

First 34 days

These first 34 years are very important for a young jerboa because this is the period when they live on their mother’s milk.

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