What would you do if you suddenly saw a tiny little fur ball jump across the road in front of your car in the middle of a country road? Could you stop in time? We’re not talking about some normal rodent either, but an adorably cute fuzzy critter only as big as a plastic bottle cap.
Learn all about this adorable creature that narrowly avoided being hit by a car in China with pictures and more, after the jump!
It turns out this “mini mouse” isn’t a mouse at all, but a rodent called a jerboa, one of the smallest rodents in the world. Those who are afraid of mice or rats can stick around as this cutie is furry, has a lovable little pig nose and long back legs like a kangaroo.
Normally found in desert areas, our unsuspecting driver, Chen Wenjie, almost ran over one when he was enjoying a drive in Hotan Prefecture while on a bird-watching excursion. How he was able to see it is remarkable as its body is tiny and it weighs about as much as a one yuan coin, which is significantly less than an ounce. Chen couldn’t believe what he was seeing and out of curiosity, placed it in an empty bottle and took it home. He observed what he thought was a tiny jumping mouse for a short period of time, finding him to be nocturnal and sleeping an incredible 17 hours a day.
A researcher at the center for disease control and prevention in Xinjiang Province realized that the tiny rodent was not a mouse at all, but a dwarf three-toed jerboa, or a pygmy jerboa. Usually found in the deserts of southern Xinjiang, the jerboa moves across the hot sand in long hops, balancing its tiny frame with its tail that is about twice as long as its body. Their lifespan is only about two years and their offspring are the size of a peanut kernel when they are born. D’awww.
Chen ultimately released the jerboa back into the wild, but was happy for their short time spent together. Unfortunately, this cute jerboa doesn’t dance around and do your chores like Disney movies have led us to believe. That would have been too good to be true!
▼ There’s an adorable long-eared version too!
Source: Shanghaiist
Top image: Wikipedia
Inset image via Viral Nova