Dipodoids are small to medium-sized rodents, ranging from in body length, excluding the
tail. They are all adapted for jumping, although to varying degrees. The jerboas have very long hind legs which, in most species, include
cannon bones. They move either by jumping, or by walking on their hind legs. The jumping mice have long feet, but lack the extreme adaptations of the jerboas, so that they move by crawling or making short hops, rather than long leaps. Both jerboas and jumping mice have long tails to aid their balance. Birch mice have shorter tails and feet, but they, too, move by jumping. Most dipodoids are
omnivorous, with a diet consisting of
seeds and
insects. Some species of jerboa, however, such as
Allactaga sibirica, are almost entirely
insectivorous. Like other rodents, they have gnawing
incisors separated from the grinding cheek teeth by a gap, or
diastema. The
dental formula for dipodids is: Jerboas and birch mice make their nests in burrows, which, in the case of jerboas, may be complex, with side-chambers for storage of food. In contrast, while jumping mice sometimes co-opt the burrows of other species, they do not dig their own, and generally nest in thick vegetation. Most species
hibernate for at least half the year, surviving on fat that they build up in the weeks prior to going to sleep. Dipodoids give birth to litters of between two and seven young after a
gestation period of between 17 and 42 days. They breed once or twice a year, depending on the species. == Classification ==