General Information:
The lesser jerboa, or lesser Egyptian jerboa, is native to Africa and the Middle East. Their appearance is somewhat different from most gerbils; they resemble a kangaroo/gerbil hybrid due to their incredibly powerful back legs.
Like most gerbils, they're an omnivorous rodent, but their diet consists of mostly plant materials. Again, similar to most gerbils, they're very well adapted to their dry climate and require very little water to survive.
The lesser jerboa is far smaller than the most commonly kept pet gerbil, the Mongolian gerbil; weighing around 50-60g on average. They're the smallest species in the genus Jacalus. Females are generally larger.
They have an average lifespan of 4 years old.
Care:
Housing/Enrichment:
We'd house the lesser jerboa in a large 5-6ft (or larger, if you can) glass tank. They inhabit the savanna and grasslands. Similarly to a lot of gerbils, they're a burrowing rodent that can cover a lot of space.
You'll want to provide plenty of dry substrates (at least 1ft deep - more if possible).
Your lesser jerboa will appreciate plenty of toys to gnaw and create intricate burrows with; think of bendy bridges, sticks, tunnels etc.
Lesser jerboas love to sand bathe, so you must provide your pet with a sand bath.
Socialising:
The lesser jerboa is a solitary and nocturnal animal who'd only come together to mate. Very little is known about their mating system, so they're very rare in the exotic pet trade. When bred in captivity, the Mother's typically do not do well when raising their young.
Due to being rare, their price often reflects this.
As frustrating as this can be for those who wish to keep a lesser jerboa, please do not source wild-caught animals.
In general, you'll find that your jerboa is very difficult to catch and should only be handled by someone experienced with exotic rodents.
With that being said, they rarely bite when caught as their 'defence' is their speed.
Diet:
As an omnivore, the lesser jerboa eats mostly plant materials but do consume a small number of animal materials too.
In the wild, their diet consists of insects, roots, leaves, seeds, nuts, and grains - not too dissimilar to most gerbils.
We'd recommend feeding a high-quality canary mix with additional protein, millet, alfalfa hay or other edible hay, dried leaves, roots, as well as some vegetables such as parsley, kale, and similar items.
Please feel free to ask more questions.
The lesser jerboa, or lesser Egyptian jerboa, is native to Africa and the Middle East. Their appearance is somewhat different from most gerbils; they resemble a kangaroo/gerbil hybrid due to their incredibly powerful back legs.
Like most gerbils, they're an omnivorous rodent, but their diet consists of mostly plant materials. Again, similar to most gerbils, they're very well adapted to their dry climate and require very little water to survive.
The lesser jerboa is far smaller than the most commonly kept pet gerbil, the Mongolian gerbil; weighing around 50-60g on average. They're the smallest species in the genus Jacalus. Females are generally larger.
They have an average lifespan of 4 years old.
Care:
Housing/Enrichment:
We'd house the lesser jerboa in a large 5-6ft (or larger, if you can) glass tank. They inhabit the savanna and grasslands. Similarly to a lot of gerbils, they're a burrowing rodent that can cover a lot of space.
You'll want to provide plenty of dry substrates (at least 1ft deep - more if possible).
Your lesser jerboa will appreciate plenty of toys to gnaw and create intricate burrows with; think of bendy bridges, sticks, tunnels etc.
Lesser jerboas love to sand bathe, so you must provide your pet with a sand bath.
Socialising:
The lesser jerboa is a solitary and nocturnal animal who'd only come together to mate. Very little is known about their mating system, so they're very rare in the exotic pet trade. When bred in captivity, the Mother's typically do not do well when raising their young.
Due to being rare, their price often reflects this.
As frustrating as this can be for those who wish to keep a lesser jerboa, please do not source wild-caught animals.
In general, you'll find that your jerboa is very difficult to catch and should only be handled by someone experienced with exotic rodents.
With that being said, they rarely bite when caught as their 'defence' is their speed.
Diet:
As an omnivore, the lesser jerboa eats mostly plant materials but do consume a small number of animal materials too.
In the wild, their diet consists of insects, roots, leaves, seeds, nuts, and grains - not too dissimilar to most gerbils.
We'd recommend feeding a high-quality canary mix with additional protein, millet, alfalfa hay or other edible hay, dried leaves, roots, as well as some vegetables such as parsley, kale, and similar items.
Please feel free to ask more questions.