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The first known film of the long-eared jerboa, an endangered Mongolian rodent with legs like a kangaroo, was released today by the owners of London Zoo.

The gerbil-sized mammal with outsize ears was filmed hopping about in the Gobi desert by scientists from the Edge programme, run by the Zoological Society of London, which highlights the plight of animals which are "evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered".

The long-eared jerboa (Euchoreutes naso), found in the deserts of Mongolia and China, is classed as endangered on the World Conservation Union's red list.

The nature of the threat is not well understood, but it has been suggested that it is due to habitat disturbance from mining activities, overgrazing and agriculture, as well as possibly climate change.

The introduction of the domestic cat has put further pressure on the mammal.

It is one of 10 species selected in the first year of the scheme because it was receiving little conservation attention.

All the Edge programme species are highly distinct genetically, with few close relatives, but are extremely endangered and need immediate action to save them from becoming extinct.

"The long-eared jerboa is a bit like the Mickey Mouse of the desert, cute and comic in equal measure," said Jonathan Baillie, ZSL head of field conservation and leader of the expedition to Mongolia.

"Unfortunately, this is just one of many amazing and unusual animals that are highly threatened but receiving little or no conservation attention."

The long-eared jerboa is a jumping rodent whose legs are specially adapted for hopping like a kangaroo and is easily recognised by ears which are about a third bigger than its head.

It is primarily a nocturnal, insect-eating animal which spends its daylight hours in underground tunnels.

Also on the red list are African vultures, Banggai cardinalfish, Bornean orangutan, Galápagos corals, Gharial, the Mauritius Echo parakeet, Sumatran orangutan, Western Lowland gorilla and the Yangtze River dolphin.