Persian Jird
species of mammal
The Persian jird (Meriones persicus) is a species of rodent in the Muridae family. It is found in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan.
| Persian jird | |
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| Persian jird, female, two and a half years old. | |
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| Species: | M. persicus
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| Meriones persicus (Blanford, 1875)
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The Persian jird is about 6 inches long. It has a brush-tipped tail that is slightly longer than the body. They are wild brown with white bellies.
They live in dry rocky hillsides with little plant life and semi-desert areas. The eat dry plant material and grains, and sometimes small insects.
Persian jirds usually have two litters a year. Each litter has around seven pups.
Some people keep them as a pet. They can live to be six or seven years old. They need large cages that let them climb and leap.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Meriones persicus.
