Results: Jerboa
Published on 04/26/2016
(Source: National Geographic) Britain used the jerboa as a mascot in World War II. These rodents are very quick—which likely inspired Britain to make the animal a symbol for the country’s 7th Armoured Brigade, known as the Desert Rats. The brigade was raised as part of the 7th Armoured Division, which fought in World War II campaigns in North Africa. Major General Michael O’Moore-Creagh wanted his troops to share the animal’s tactic of popping up, having a quick look around its desert environment, and popping back down. (Jerboas were even featured on patches that the soldiers wore.) The Desert Rats, which are still in existence today, were given a larger-than-life commemoration when British artist Anna Redwood built a half-ton sculpture of a jerboa out of scrapped armored vehicles used in Afghanistan. The Desert Rats will be the last British troops to be deployed there. Here are some curious facts about the desert rodents:
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Jerboas get around by jumping. These able leapers, which live in North Africa and Asia, are aided by hind limbs that are at least four times as long as their forelimbs and long tails that add balance. Have you ever seen them jumping?
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158 votes
No
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There are 33 species of jerboa. Six of these species are considered pygmy. The most oddly proportioned family member is the long-eared jerboa, first caught on film in the wild in 2007 during a Zoological Society of London expedition to the Gobi. With ears that are two-thirds as long as its body, the animal has one of the largest ear-to-body ratios in the animal kingdom. The long ears may help desert animals like the long-eared jerboa keep cool, as the blood moves through the ear, the heat easily dissipates from the blood vessel across the skin, and into the air. Do you have a favorite jerboa species?
Yes
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91 votes
No
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1035 votes
Undecided
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Not Applicable
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Jerboas aren't good pets. So why isn't this cutie a common U.S. household pet? For one, jerboas native to or exported from Africa are restricted from entry into the U.S. and have been since 2003 due to their association with monkey pox. There are special exemptions for scientific research. Did you ever have a jerboa as a pet?
Yes
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95 votes
No
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1794 votes
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