Indian desert jird
| Indian Desert Jird | |
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| Indian Desert Jird (Meriones hurrianae) seen in the Thar desert, Rajasthan, India. | |
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| Species: | M. hurrianae
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| Binomial name | |
| Merionis hurrianae (Jerdon,1867)
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The Indian Desert Jird (Merionis hurrianae) is a species of Jird found mainly in the Thar desert in India. Jirds are closely related to Gerbils.
Distribution
The Indian Desert Jird is found in SE Iran and Pakistan to northwestern India. In India they can be found in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Description
The Indian Jird has a grey-brown coat with yellowish-grey belly. It is approximately 12 to 14 cms long and has a tail 10 to 15 cms long. The distinguishing characteristics include short ears, long black claws and orange incisors.
Habitat
Jirds inhabit desert and barren areas prefering firm soil. They are not to be found in pure sand dunes or rocky outcrops.
Habits
The jirds are gregarious and their burrows are seen closeby. Each jird will have at least two or more entrances to his burrow complex. Often the entrance is in the shade of a tree or near the trunk of bushes. They feed on seeds, roots, nuts, grasses and insects.
Difference between 'jirds' and 'gerbils'
Jirds are closely related to gerbils but are differentiated by the absence of long hind feet and the characteristic erect posture of a gerbil. The tail is generally shorter than the head and body in a jird. It also has much shorter ears. In addition, the Indian Desert Jird is diurnal, in comparison to the three common gerbil species found in India which are nocturnal.
References
- Menon, Vivek. A Field Guide to Indian Mammals. Dorling Kindersley, Delhi, 2003.