Most species of jerboas have excellent hearing that they use to avoid becoming the prey of nocturnal predators.

However, phylogenetic analysis split all three as distinct families, leaving just the jerboas in Dipodidae and revealing them to be a monophyletic group.

Jerboa dental records reveal a slow increase in crown heights and that corresponds to a more open and dryer ecosystem.

Researchers have found that, when jerboas execute their vertical leaps, the primary tendons in the hindlimbs only recovered and reused on average 4.4% of energy contributed to the jump; this is lower than many hopping animals.

Jerboas that live in sandy desert environments develop hairs on the bottom of their feet that allow for better traction and grip so that they don't slip in the sand.

[5] Like other bipedal animals, their foramen magnum—the hole at the base of the skull—is forward-shifted, which enhances two-legged locomotion.

This may explain why evolution of bipedal locomotion is favored in desert-dwelling rodents that forage in open habitats.

During the rainy season, they make tunnels in mounds or hills to reduce the risk of flooding.

In the summer, jerboas occupying holes plug the entrance to keep out hot air and, some researchers speculate, predators.

Just like other animals that hibernate, these creatures are heavier pre-hibernation specifically in ungrazed sites (Shuai).

Grazing negatively impacts the Jerboa pre- and post-hibernation population, but not the survival rate.

[11][1][2] Jerboas create burrows to function as protection against predators and severe weather conditions.

However, occasional "loose colonies" may form, whereby some species of jerboa dig communal burrows that offer extra warmth when it is cold outside.

[1] Most jerboas rely on plant material as the main component of their diet, but they cannot eat hard seeds.

[2] Mating systems of closely related species in the family Dipodidae suggest that they may be polygynous.

For some closely related jerboa species, mating usually happens a short time after awaking from winter hibernation.

These cells quit producing GnRH in the autumn, and the jerboa's mating season ends.