Wildlifeof India
Indian Desert Jird
Rats, Mice, Voles & Porcupines
Photo: (c) harrier, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY (May be cropped or resized)
Meriones hurrianae
Basic stats
Diet
Seeds, roots, nuts, grasses and insects
Habitat
Thar Desert; burrow complexes
Range
South-eastern Iran and Pakistan to north-western India (Rajasthan and Gujarat)
Size
Head and body 12–14cm; tail 10–15cm
The Indian desert jird, or Indian desert gerbil, is found mainly in the Thar Desert. It has a grey-brown coat with a yellowish-grey belly, short ears, long black claws and orange incisors, and it is 12–14 cm long with a 10–15 cm tail. Jirds are closely related to gerbils but lack their long hind feet and their characteristic erect posture, and their tails are shorter than the head and body (Wikipedia, general species account).
In India it occurs in Rajasthan and Gujarat, and elsewhere from south-eastern Iran and Pakistan. Unlike the three common gerbils of India, which are nocturnal, it is diurnal. It is gregarious, with burrows close together, each burrow complex having at least two entrances. It feeds on seeds, roots, nuts, grasses and insects (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Indian Desert Jird eat?
- Seeds, roots, nuts, grasses and insects
- What habitat does the Indian Desert Jird live in?
- Thar Desert; burrow complexes
- Where is the Indian Desert Jird found?
- South-eastern Iran and Pakistan to north-western India (Rajasthan and Gujarat)
- How big is the Indian Desert Jird?
- Head and body 12–14cm; tail 10–15cm