Tamarisk jird

The tamarisk jird, Meriones tamariscinus, also called the tamarisk gerbil, is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, and it prefers habitats with grass or shrub cover. Adults are relatively large for a jird and can weigh 100 to 140 grams. They are poorly adapted to digest cellulose, so they feed mainly on plant sources such as young leaves and need large amounts of water. The tamarisk jird is nocturnal and strictly solitary; males usually occupy larger home ranges than females and interactions between individuals are very rare. It breeds between March and October, usually producing two to three litters. Young jirds first leave their burrows between May and June and disperse quickly, rarely interacting with their siblings or mother. Sexual maturity comes at about 70 days, but young males do not mate in their first year, and fewer than half of young females have been observed to breed in their first year.