Mary Ann Wilson, age 9, of Rutland, Vt., for her question:

HOW BIG IS THE JUMPING MOUSE

The jumping mouse is a small animal that hops about on its hind legs. The animal is about four inches long and it has a five inch tail.

Jumping mice are rodents that live in North America, Asia and Europe. Most North American kinds live in meadows and thickets along the edge of woods in the northern parts of the United States and in Canada.

The rodents are found most often in damp places.

The animal's fur is dark on the back and yellowish brown on the belly. Most species have a line along the sides of their bodies where the dark colored and the lighter colored fur meet.

Jumping mice eat insects, leaves and stems, and berries and seeds. The female gives birth to a litter of about five young mice a year. Unlike most other mice, jumping mice hibernate or sleep through the winter.

Jumping mice are related to the dormouse and jerboa.