Shaw's jird

Species of rodent found in Northern Africa

Shaw's jird
Conservation status

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Muridae
Genus: Meriones
Species:
M. shawi
Binomial name
Meriones shawi
(Duvernoy, 1842)

Shaw's jird (Meriones shawi) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia. Its natural habitats are arable land, pastureland, and rural gardens.

Shaw's jird can mate 224 times in two hours.

Shaw's jird is able to survive long periods of dehydration in semi-desert regions where it lives, in part because of its well developed kidneys.[1] Shaw's jird can mate 224 times in two hours.[2] During the rainy season, Shaw's jirds breed more compared to summer when there is less rain.[3] They typically live 1–2 years.[4] In the Algerian highlands, they are a main prey source for Barn owls.[5]

References

Wikispecies has information related to Meriones shawi.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Meriones shawi.


  1. ^ Elgot, Abdeljalil; El hiba, Omar; Gamrani, Halima (2012-10-01). "The anxiogenic-like effects of dehydration in a semi-desert rodent Meriones shawi indicating the possible involvement of the serotoninergic system". Acta Histochemica. 114 (6): 603–607. doi:10.1016/j.acthis.2011.11.005. ISSN 0065-1281. PMID 22172710.
  2. ^ "Reproduction (Part of the Extreme Mammals exhibition.)". American Museum of National History.
  3. ^ Zaime, Abdelkader; Gautier, Jean-Yves (March 1987). "Variations of Density and Spatial Occupation in 3 Rodent Species in a Semi-Arid Area of Morocco". 1st European Meeting "The Rodent and Its Environment" ("Le Rongeur et l'Espace"). Mammalia. 51. Lyon, France: Universite Claude-Bernard: 478.
  4. ^ "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
  5. ^ Doumandji, S.; Denys, C.; Ababsa, L.; Guezoul, O.; Benbouzid, N.; Guerzou, A.; Souttou, K.; Sekour, M. (June 2014). "[Importance of Shaw's Jird Meriones shawii within the trophic components of the Barn Owl Tyto alba in steppic areas of Algeria]" (PDF). Comptes Rendus Biologies. 337 (6): 405–415. doi:10.1016/j.crvi.2014.04.005. ISSN 1631-0691. PMID 24961561.
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Extant species of subfamily Gerbillinae
Tribes Ammodillini, Desmodilliscini, Gerbillurini, Taterillini
Ammodillini
Ammodillus
  • Ammodile (A. imbellis)
Desmodilliscini
Desmodilliscus
  • Pouched gerbil (D. braueri)
Pachyuromys
  • Fat-tailed gerbil (P. duprasi)
Gerbillurini
Desmodillus
  • Cape short-eared gerbil (D. auricularis)
Gerbilliscus
  • Cape gerbil (G. afra)
  • Boehm's gerbil (G. boehmi)
  • Highveld gerbil (G. brantsii)
  • Guinean gerbil (G. guineae)
  • Gorongoza gerbil (G. inclusus)
  • Kemp's gerbil (G. kempi)
  • Bushveld gerbil (G. leucogaster)
  • black-tailed gerbil (G. nigricaudus)
  • Phillips's gerbil (G. phillipsi)
  • fringe-tailed gerbil (G. robustus)
  • savanna gerbil (G. validus)
Gerbillurus
  • Hairy-footed gerbil (G. paeba)
  • Namib brush-tailed gerbil (G. setzeri)
  • dune hairy-footed gerbil (G. tytonis)
  • bushy-tailed hairy-footed gerbil (G. vallinus)
Tatera
  • Indian gerbil (T. indica)
Taterillini
Taterillus
  • Robbins's tateril (T. arenarius)
  • Congo gerbil (T. congicus)
  • Emin's gerbil (T. emini)
  • gracile tateril (T. gracilis)
  • Harrington's gerbil (T. harringtoni)
  • Lake Chad gerbil (T. lacustris)
  • Petter's gerbil (T. petteri)
  • Senegal gerbil (T. pygargus)
  • Tranieri's tateril (T. tranieri)
Tribe Gerbillini
Gerbillina
Dipodillus
  • Botta's gerbil (D. bottai)
  • North African gerbil (D. campestris)
  • Wagner's gerbil (D. dasyurus)
  • Harwood's gerbil (D. harwoodi)
  • James's gerbil (D. jamesi)
  • Lowe's gerbil (D. lowei)
  • Mackilligin's gerbil (D. mackilligini)
  • greater short-tailed gerbil (D. maghrebi)
  • rupicolous gerbil (D. rupicola)
  • lesser short-tailed gerbil (D. simoni)
  • Somalian gerbil (D. somalicus)
  • Khartoum gerbil (D. stigmonyx)
  • Kerkennah Islands gerbil (D. zakariai)
Gerbillus
Subgenus Hendecapleura:
  • Pleasant gerbil (G. amoenus)
  • Brockman's gerbil (G. brockmani)
  • black-tufted gerbil (G. famulus)
  • Algerian gerbil (G. garamantis)
  • Grobben's gerbil (G. grobbeni)
  • pygmy gerbil (G. henleyi)
  • Mauritanian gerbil (G. mauritaniae)
  • Harrison's gerbil (G. mesopotamiae)
  • Darfur gerbil (G. muriculus)
  • Balochistan gerbil (G. nanus)
  • large Aden gerbil (G. poecilops)
  • principal gerbil (G. principulus)
  • least gerbil (G. pusillus)
  • sand gerbil (G. syrticus)
  • vivacious gerbil (G. vivax)
  • Waters's gerbil (G. watersi)
Subgenus Gerbillus:
  • Berbera gerbil (G. acticola)
  • Agag gerbil (G. agag)
  • Anderson's gerbil (G. andersoni)
  • swarthy gerbil (G. aquilus)
  • Burton's gerbil (G. burtoni)
  • Cheesman's gerbil (G. cheesmani)
  • Dongola gerbil (G. dongolanus)
  • Dunn's gerbil (G. dunni)
  • Flower's gerbil (G. floweri)
  • lesser Egyptian gerbil (G. gerbillus)
  • Indian hairy-footed gerbil (G. gleadowi)
  • western gerbil (G. hesperinus)
  • Hoogstraal's gerbil (G. hoogstraali)
  • Lataste's gerbil (G. latastei)
  • Sudan gerbil (G. nancillus)
  • Nigerian gerbil (G. nigeriae)
  • occidental gerbil (G. occiduus)
  • pale gerbil (G. perpallidus)
  • cushioned gerbil (G. pulvinatus)
  • greater Egyptian gerbil (G. pyramidum)
  • Rosalinda gerbil (G. rosalinda)
  • Tarabul's gerbil (G. tarabuli)
Microdillus
  • Somali pygmy gerbil (M. peeli)
Rhombomyina
Brachiones
  • Przewalski's gerbil (B. przewalskii)
Meriones
Subgenus Meriones:
  • Tamarisk jird (M. tamariscinus)
Subgenus Parameriones:
  • Persian jird (M. persicus)
  • king jird (M. rex)
Subgenus Pallasiomys:
  • Arabian jird (M. arimalius)
  • Cheng's jird (M. chengi)
  • Sundevall's jird (M. crassus)
  • Dahl's jird (M. dahli)
  • Moroccan jird (M. grandis)
  • Libyan jird (M. libycus)
  • midday jird (M. meridianus)
  • Buxton's jird (M. sacramenti)
  • Shaw's jird (M. shawi)
  • Tristram's jird (M. tristrami)
  • Mongolian jird (M. unguiculatus)
  • Vinogradov's jird (M. vinogradovi)
  • Zarudny's jird (M. zarudnyi)
Subgenus Cheliones:
  • Indian desert jird (M. hurrianae)
Psammomys
  • Sand rat (P. obesus)
  • thin sand rat (P. vexillaris)
Rhombomys
  • Great gerbil (R. opimus)
incertae sedis
Sekeetamys
  • Bushy-tailed jird (S. calurus)
Taxon identifiers
Meriones shawi


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