The meadow jumping mouse has hind legs much longer than the front legs and a tapered tail that is nearly twice as long as the combined length of the head and body. The coarse fur is yellowish brown ...

Perhaps you’ve caught a glimpse in your headlights of a mouse with a very long tail, leaping across the road at night. Or maybe your cat has deposited a specimen on your doorstep. This is the jumping ...

That common name isn’t for nothing: New Mexico meadow jumping mice are amazing jumpers. Pushing off their big hind feet while keeping balance with their long tails, they can leap as far as 3 feet.