Arabian jird

The Arabian jird (Meriones arimalius) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.^[2] It is found in Oman, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

Arabian jird
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Muridae
Genus:	Meriones
Species:	M. arimalius
Binomial name
Meriones arimalius Cheesman & Hinton, 1924

Taxonomy

First described by Cheesman and Hinton in 1924, Meriones arimalius is sometimes considered a subspecies of the closely related Meriones libycus, the Libyan jird.^[1][3]

Description

The fur is short and thing; the back is "sandy-cream", the bottom is white, and the tail is "ivory to yellow, with a white tuft of hairs at the end". The type specimen in 132 millimetres (5.2 in) long, with a 163 millimetres (6.4 in) tail. The ears are 18 millimetres (0.71 in) and the hindfeet 37 millimetres (1.5 in).^[4]

Distribution, ecology, and conservation status

Little is known about the Arabian jird's behavior, distribution, or abundance in its range. It has been found in the Rub al Khali desert in Oman and Saudi Arabia, and may occur in the United Arab Emirates as well. It is listed as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN despite the limited information, as it is widely distributed and its habitat is not under threat.^[1]

Known predators of the Arabian jird include the sand cat, felis margarita.^[5] It is known to dig burrows and use them as shelter when threatened. It eats Abutilon fruticosum seeds.^[4]