How long do Jerboas live?
In the wild jerboas may live 2-6 years; in captivity survival is often poor, with many dying within months due to stress and husbandry difficulty, though well-managed specimens can reach several years.
What do Jerboas eat?
They are mainly granivorous and insectivorous: a base of desert seed mix plus regular small insects (crickets, mealworms) and tiny amounts of greens. Do NOT feed fruit-heavy or watery diets, dairy, or processed foods — their desert kidneys cannot handle excess moisture and they are prone to digestive upset.
Housing and space
Provide a long, low, escape-proof enclosure with deep dry sand substrate for burrowing, a warm gradient of about 24-32°C (75-90°F), and very low humidity. They need horizontal running room more than height, plus secure hides. Glass tanks with tight mesh lids reduce escape and drafts.
Common mistakes with Jerboas
The fatal mistakes are keeping them too cold or humid, feeding watery fruit-based diets that trigger diarrhea, housing them where they are handled or stressed (they injure themselves panicking), and buying wild-caught animals that almost never adapt to captivity.
Beginner mistakes to avoid
- Cold or humid conditions — desert physiology fails outside hot-dry ranges.
- Watery, fruit-heavy diets — causes fatal diarrhea in arid-adapted kidneys.
- Excessive handling or stress — they panic and injure themselves.
- Wild-caught imports — they seldom survive or thrive in captivity.