153.

Tamarisk Jird

Meriones tamariscinus

French: Mérione des tamaris / German: Tamarisken-Rennratte / Spanish: Gerbillo de taraje

Other common names: Tamarisk Gerbil

Taxonomy. Mus tamariscinus Pallas, 1773,

Saraitschikowki (= Saraichik), Kazakhstan.

Originally described in genus Mus and then removed to Meriones (genus and subgenus), M. tamariscinus was broadly revised by G. B. Corbet in 1978 and I. Ya. Pavlinov and colleagues in 1990 on morphological grounds. Molecular analysis by M. Ito and colleagues in 2010 found M. tamariscinus to represent a separate clade distinct from all other Meriones, Rhombomys, Psammomys,

and Brachiones, thus making genus Meriones paraphyletic; these authors did not, however, make any conclusive proposals on possible taxonomic change for M. tamariscinus clade and, pending more complete analyses,classic arrangementis retained. Monotypic.

Distribution. S European Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, N Afghanistan, NW China (Xinjiang, N Gansu, and W Inner Mongolia [= Nei Mongol]), and SW Mongolia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 135-190 mm, tail 115-150 mm, ear 15-21 mm, hindfoot 32-39 mm; weight 60-180 g. A largejird, The TamariskJird has rusty-brown dorsal

pelage and pure white venter. Soles of hindfeet are hairy. Tail is bicolored, smaller than body length, and has no pencil at end.

Habitat. Deserts and semi-deserts with small bushes and grasslands, wadis, and saline marshes.

Food and Feeding. TamariskJirds are omnivorous, consuming vegetable matter,fruits, seeds, and insects. They will store food in burrows, and up to 4-5 kg of dry plants and seeds have been reported in some cases.

Breeding. Reproduction can take place during entire year, but is reduced during winter. Litter size is 1-8 (average 4-5) offspring.

Activity patterns. Nocturnal and terrestrial, the Tamarisk Jird digs burrows beneath tree roots and bushes. Burrows have several openings and can reach 6 m in length and 2:5 m in depth.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Tamarisk Jirds have a home range of around 1-2 km, and they are generally found in small family or colony groups with low population densities (20-30 ind/ha). They are not considered social rodents.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Tamarisk Jird is considered a pest of cereal fields, as well as of cultivations of melons and gourds.

Bibliography. Corbet (1978), Ito et al. (2010), Li Changlong et al. (2016), Pavlinov et al. (1990), Smith &Yan Xie (2008).