# Persian jird

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{{Short description|Species of rodent}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=July 2025}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=July 2025}}
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{{Speciesbox
| name = Persian jird
| status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 16 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Molur, S. |author2=Sozen, M. |date=2016 |title=''Meriones persicus'' |volume=2016 |article-number=e.T13166A22433231 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T13166A22433231.en |access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref>
| image = Meriones persicus.jpg
| genus = Meriones
| species = persicus
| authority = ([Blanford](/source/William_Thomas_Blanford), 1875)
| synonyms = 
}}

The '''Persian jird''' ('''''Meriones persicus''''') is a species of [rodent](/source/rodent) in the family [Muridae](/source/Muridae) found in [Afghanistan](/source/Afghanistan), [Armenia](/source/Armenia), [Azerbaijan](/source/Azerbaijan), [India](/source/India), [Iran](/source/Iran), [Iraq](/source/Iraq), [Pakistan](/source/Pakistan), [Saudi Arabia](/source/Saudi_Arabia), [Turkey](/source/Turkey) and [Turkmenistan](/source/Turkmenistan).

The Persian jird is about {{convert|6|in|cm}} long and has a brush-tipped tail that is slightly longer than the body. They are brown with white bellies.

The Persian jird's natural habitats are dry rocky hillsides with little vegetation and semi-desert areas. They find shelter in either small burrows or under overhanging rocks. These jirds can also be found living near humans, such as under walls.

In the wild, Persian jirds eat dry plant material and grains, with small insects as a supplement.

Persian jirds usually have two litters a year, each with around seven pups.

Some people keep this species as a pet. They can live to be six or seven years old{{Citation needed|reason=this is a lot longer than other species in the family so would like to see what this claim is based on|date=January 2018}}. They need large cages that allow climbing and leaping.
The high abundance of Persian jird in many areas, as well as their several proper features, makes them a suitable species for biomonitoring programs.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Khazaee |first1=M. |last2=Hamidian |first2=A. H. |last3=Shabani |first3=A. A. |last4=Ashrafi |first4=S. |last5=Mirjalili |first5=S. A. A. |last6=Esmaeilzadeh |first6=E. |year=2016 |title=Accumulation of heavy metals and As in liver, hair, femur, and lung of Persian jird (''Meriones persicus'') in Darreh Zereshk copper mine, Iran |journal=Environmental Science and Pollution Research |volume=23 |issue=4 |pages=3860–3870 |doi=10.1007/s11356-015-5455-x |pmid=26498968 |bibcode=2016ESPR...23.3860K }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
{{ref begin}}
* Barker, Julian. (1998-12) The Persian Jird. ''The Nibbler (Journal of the National Gerbil Society)''.
* {{MSW3 Muroidea | id =  | page = }}
{{ref end}}

{{Gerbillinae|G1.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q766515}}

Category:Meriones (rodent)
Category:Mammals of West Asia
Category:Mammals of Azerbaijan
Category:Mammals of Afghanistan
Category:Mammals of India
Category:Mammals of Pakistan
Category:Fauna of Iran
Category:Mammals described in 1875
Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot

{{Meriones-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Persian jird](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_jird) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_jird?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.