World's weirdest animal? This jerboa looks like a mouse with kangaroo legs

This weird jumping animal may look like a cross between a kangaroo and a mouse, but in fact it's one of the world's strangest animals: a jerboa.

These incredible jumping rodents have extremely powerful elongated legs and can propel themselves to heights of more than six feet - very useful when trying to escape predators, such as birds of prey.

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Jerboas are nocturnal animals and in the deserts of North Africa and Asia and the Arabian peninsula.

There are believed to be around 30 varieties of this species, including the five-toed pygmy and the long-eared jerboa, both of which are critically endangered.

During the heat of the day, they shelter in burrows, and, during the height of summer, they may become inactive and stay underground for weeks at a time in a kind of reverse hibernation.

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The most well-known species is the Lesser Egyptian Jerboa (Jaculus jaculus) which lives in some of the most hostile deserts in the world. It does not drink at all, relying on its food to provide enough moisture for survival.

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