The genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 Jaculus is a member of the Dipodinae

Dipodinae

Dipodinae is a subfamily of Dipodidae.-Classification:Subfamily Dipodinae*Tribe Dipodini**Genus Dipus***Northern Three-toed Jerboa, Dipus sagitta**Genus Eremodipus***Lichtenstein's Jerboa, Eremodipus lichtensteini...

 subfamily of dipodoid rodent

Rodent

Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....

s (jerboa

Jerboa

The jerboa form the bulk of the membership of the family Dipodidae. Jerboas are hopping desert rodents found throughout Asia and Northern Africa. They tend to be found in hot deserts....

s). Jaculus species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 are distributed in desert

Desert

A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...

 and semi-arid

Semi-arid

A semi-arid climate or steppe climate describes climatic regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not extremely...

 regions across northern Africa, the Sahara

Sahara

The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...

, the Horn of Africa

Horn of Africa

The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...

, Arabia, the Middle East

Middle East

The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

, and Central Asia

Central Asia

Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...

.

Collectively, the species within the genus may be commonly referred to as "desert jerboas", although this more particularly applied to the Lesser Egyptian Jerboa

Lesser Egyptian Jerboa

The Lesser Egyptian Jerboa الجربوع , Jaculus jaculus, is a little rodent of Africa and the Middle East.Its diet consists of seeds and grasses, however the Jerboa needs very little water to survive.-References:...

 (Jaculus jaculus).

Species

The following species are recognised for the genus Jaculus:

• Blanford's Jerboa
  Blanford's Jerboa
  Blanford's Jerboa is a species of rodent in the Dipodidae family. It is found in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.-References:...
  
  , Jaculus blanfordi
• Lesser Egyptian Jerboa
  Lesser Egyptian Jerboa
  The Lesser Egyptian Jerboa الجربوع , Jaculus jaculus, is a little rodent of Africa and the Middle East.Its diet consists of seeds and grasses, however the Jerboa needs very little water to survive.-References:...
  
  , Jaculus jaculus
• Greater Egyptian Jerboa
  Greater Egyptian Jerboa
  The Greater Egyptian Jerboa is a species of rodent in the Dipodidae family. It is found in Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, sandy shores, and arable land.-References:* Aulagnier, S. 2004. . ...
  
  , Jaculus orientalis
• Greatest Egyptian Jerboa, "Jaculus bishoylus"