Mammals
Shaw's Jird
Meriones shawi
At dusk on a North African steppe, Shaw’s jird slips from one of several burrow entrances and carries seeds back underground, a gerbil-like digger well suited to dry country.
Overview
Shaw’s jird, Meriones shawi, is a Least Concern rodent of the semi-arid steppes, scrub, and farmland of North Africa. Its seed stores, burrow systems, and role as a carrier of a human parasite make it a species of both ecological and public-health interest.
A digger of dry country
Like other jirds and gerbils, Shaw’s jird relies on burrows to escape heat and predators and on stored seeds to get through lean seasons.
Status
Least Concern, widespread across semi-arid habitat in North Africa.
Shaw's Jird: common questions
Is a jird the same as a gerbil?
A jird is a close relative of the gerbils, and the group is often called gerbils too, though jirds belong to their own genus.
Does Shaw's jird damage crops?
Yes, it feeds on cereal crops and stored grain and is regarded as an agricultural pest in places.
Why is Shaw's jird studied by scientists?
It has been found to carry the parasite that causes cutaneous leishmaniasis in North Africa.
Where is Shaw's jird found?
It lives in semi-arid steppe, scrub, and farmland across North Africa from Morocco to Egypt.