Elena Salazar, age 9, of Tucson, Ariz., for her question:

WHERE DOES THE JUMPING MOUSE LIVE?

A jumping mouse is a small animal that hops around on its hind legs. It is a rodent that can be found living in Asia, Europe and North America.

The jumping mouse grows to be about four inches long and has a five inch tail. Several species have been identified in North American meadows and thickets along the edge of woods in the northern parts of the United States and in Canada.

Closely related to the dormouse and the jerboa, the jumping mouse eats insects, leaves and stems as well as berries and seeds.

Twice each year the female jumping mouse gives birth to a litter of about five babies.

Unlike most other mice, jumping mice hibernate or sleep through the entire winter.