Have you ever seen a mouse that also hops like a kangaroo with ears similar to that of a rabbit? Well, now you have. This cute little guy has a lot of adaptations for its environment, so let's look at them all again.
Physical Description and Behavior
Its fur is a fairly light color, with the sides and back being more grayish in color. It has a fairly long tail that has a reddish color to it. With the exception of the tip of the tail, which is black with a white tip.
Their ears are something to look at, as they are almost three times the size of their head. This gives them a great sense of hearing, and as a result, are able to hear predators if they are closing in. Since they are so big and thin, these big ears are also able to distribute heat, allowing their small bodies to cool off faster.
Mothers reproduce once or twice a year and have a fairly long pregnancy. Te young develop slowly and only start hopping after 11 weeks. They become sexually mature after 14 weeks. However, despite this, they can live up to 6 years in the wild. This is pretty long compared to most other rodents, who may live only a few years.
Habitat and Location
According to the IUCN, they are labeled as Least Concern. However, it is unsure if their population is stable, increasing, or decreasing due to a lack of data.
They live in a desert or steppe environment on the border of China and Mongolia. Specifically the Gobi Desert. Since it is hot during the day, they live in burrows and generally are not active until it is night.
Check out this little guy in action in the video below!