Dramatic chase between desert fox and gerbil

Video captures the process of desert fox chasing gerbils, creatures with strong legs like kangaroos, dramatic in the Arabian peninsula.

Although the gerbil tried to hide, with its long legs and the hole not deep enough it was easily exposed. Meanwhile, the Desert Fox has 20 times more hearing than the human ear, helping it to know exactly where to dig.

When discovered, the gerbil quickly runs away. It uses its secret weapon, its kangaroo-like legs, to jump and jump more than 10 times its body length. Rats jump very fast but foxes are faster.

Thankfully, gerbils have a secret weapon in their hairy legs. The fur on its feet helps it cling to the sand and change direction quickly. This tactic helped the gerbil to 'cut its tail' off the desert fox and escape.

Dramatic chase between desert fox and gerbil Picture 1

The jerboa (jaculus jaculus), has the body of a mouse, the ears of a rabbit, the pink nose of a pig, and the large and long hind legs of a kangaroo. They are a perfect example of mother nature's exotic products.

The front legs of this strange rat have shrunk and are not used for walking, while the hind legs are large, allowing them to jump quite high. Jerboa gerbils often move in zigzag and horizontal directions, making it easy for them to run away when in danger.

The jerboa has a very long tail, twice the length of its body. They are nocturnal and during the day will hide in burrows dug in the ground. The gerbil eats winged insects.

David Pac

Update 24 July 2023