Meriones crassus
Sundevall's jird

Extends fromnorthwest Africa above 20 degrees north, through the Middle East and into Central Asia (Koffler, 1972). Parts of Egypt, Libya, northern Tunisia, northern Algeria, and northern Morocco are not inhabited by the species.

They live in sandy soil in hot and dry environments (Koffler, 1972). Burrow locations are not necessarily dependent on vegetation proximity. They have been found in rocky environments as well. They live in complex burrows, sometimes with multiple exits and several chambers (Harrison et al., 1991).

They are small in body size, but comparatively large compared to some other gerbils. The fur is soft and dense. It shows a pattern of counter-shading coloration, with a sandy color and black spots on the dorsal side and solid white on the ventral side (Harrison et al., 1991). The claws are ivory-white. The upper lip, inside of the limbs, and the bottoms of the feet, are white as well. The tail has a black tip (Harrison et al., 1991) and is about the length of the body (Koffler, 1972). Females have four pairs of mammae (Harrison et al., 1991).

There have been no recent studies on this subject with only one note of lifespan (Nowak, 1991).

Individuals ususally do not leave a burrow until evening hours, presumably to avoid the high heat of day (Gould et al., 1998) and diurnal predators. They have specific physiological adaptations for water conservation, including highly efficient kidneys and te production of unusually dry fecal matter.

These jirds live in small colonies of upwards to 10 individuals (Harrison et al., 1991). The colonies occupy complex burrow structures (Harrison et al., 1991), individual burrow design varies (Nowak, 1991).

The jird is able to exploit low quality roughage and has a low energy requirement (Choshniak et al., 1987). The long period in which food stays within the lower digestive tract may add to this ability (Yahav et al., 1990). The diet shifts from mainly seeds in the summer to more green vegetation in the winter, possibly to increase water consumption (Degen et al., 1997). Change in the amount of food consumption has been linked to change in circadian rhythm, which is related to seasonal light changes (Haim et al., 1990). Jirds have also been known to eat locusts and other insects (Harrison et al., 1991). Sexual dimorphism also leads to different food intake and food selection, as the larger males tend to be less selective (Khokhlova et al., 1995). Food is stored in the burrows, and jirds normally return from foraging before eating (Koffler, 1972).

Foods eaten include: seeds, grassy vegetation, twigs and insects.

Nocturnal activity allows individuals to avoid many day predators, and quick movements back to the burrow are used to escape (Gould et al., 1998). Coloration of the fur may also be an adaptive trait to avoid being seen by predators.

Jirds probably help disperse seeds when eating and foraging, since they moves food back to the burrow (Roberts, 1997). A number of other animal species have been found inside jird burrows, including tenebrionid beetles, scorpions, riddled hillcocks, and other kinds of gerbils (Koffler, 1972). They have a similar role as Gervillus cheesmani, Jaculus blanfordi, Allactage elater, and Meriones libycus in other areas (Roberts, 1997).

They are sometimes seen as pests because they cause damage to agriculture, irrigation structures, and may even spread disease (Nowak, 1991). The pet trade may also lead to feral populations.

They are used as pets and in medical research.

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