Bushy-tailed jird

The bushy-tailed jird, also called the bushy-tailed dipodil (Sekeetamys calurus), is a large mouse-like rodent of the family Muridae and the only species in the genus Sekeetamys. It is found in eastern Egypt, the Sinai Peninsula, southern Israel, southern Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Sudan, in rocky, arid and semiarid places where annual rainfall is typically under 100 millimetres. It measures 229 to 292 millimetres in length with a tail of 131 to 164 millimetres and weighs 27 to 50 grams. It has large ears, pale patches around the eyes, yellowish brown fur tipped with black and whitish underparts. Its bushy tail, held upright, is unique among small rodents in Egypt apart from the Asian garden dormouse. It seems to be expanding its range northward in Israel, reaching Ein Gedi. The IUCN rates it Least Concern with a stable population.