Scientific Name: MERIONES TRISTRAMI External features: Can be mistaken for a gerbil from the Tatera family. They have an orange brown agouti colour, the belly is white, the tail has a black tuft. The ears are big and pigmented. The eyes are almond shaped, as in the mongolian gerbil. The nails are clear. Distribution: Turkey to northwestern Iran and Sinai. Habitat: Jirds inhabit clay and sandy deserts, bush country, arid steppes, low plains, cultivated fields, grasslands, and mountain valleys. They are terrestrial and construct burrows in soft soil. The diet consists of green vegetation, roots, bulbs, seeds, cereals, fruits and insects. M. tristrami is known to stay in their burrow for 2 months during the winter, and live entirely of stored food. Reproduction: Maintenance and behaviour in captivity: They can be kept as shaw jirds.

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