Mammals of the WorldTamarisk Jird
Meriones tamariscinus
- Order
- Rodentia
- Family
- Muridae
- Genus
- Meriones
- IUCN status
- LC
- Distribution
- Russia|Kazakhstan|Uzbekistan|Turkmenistan|Kyrgyzstan|Tajikistan|Afghanistan|China|Mongolia
- Realm
- Palearctic
Other names: Tamarisk Gerbil
About this species
- Size
- Head and body 13.5–19.0cm; tail 11.5–15.0cm
- Habitat
- Dry regions
- Range
- From the northern Caucasus across Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to the west and south of Mongolia and northern China
The tamarisk jird has a head-and-body length of 13.5–19.0 centimetres and a tail of 11.5–15.0 centimetres, with hind feet of about 32–39 millimetres and ears of 15–21 millimetres. It is comparatively large for its genus and bigger than the midday jird. The back fur varies regionally from sandy-yellow to rusty-red-brown or grey, while the belly fur is completely white or pale grey. (German Wikipedia, general species account)
This gerbil is widespread in dry regions over large parts of Asia. Its range runs from the northern Caucasus through Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to the west and south of Mongolia and the north of China, where it covers large parts of Xinjiang, Gansu and Inner Mongolia. (German Wikipedia, general species account)
Description: Wildlife of Mongolia guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)