Shaw's jird
Species of rodent found in Northern Africa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 | |
|---|---|
| |
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Genus: | Meriones |
| Species: | M. shawi |
| Binomial name | |
| Meriones shawi (Duvernoy, 1842) | |
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.[2] Shaw's jird can mate 224 times in two hours.[3] During the rainy season, Shaw's jirds breed more compared to summer when there is less rain.[4] They typically live 1–2 years.[1] In the Algerian highlands, they are a main prey source for Barn owls.[5]
