Arabian jird

The Arabian jird is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Oman, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

Taxonomy

First described by Cheesman and Hinton in 1924, Meriones arimalius is sometimes considered a subspecies of the closely related Meriones libycus, the Libyan jird.

Description

The fur is short and thing; the back is "sandy-cream", the bottom is white, and the tail is "ivory to yellow, with a white tuft of hairs at the end". The type specimen in long, with a tail. The ears are and the hindfeet.

Distribution, ecology, and conservation status

Little is known about the Arabian jird's behavior, distribution, or abundance in its range. It has been found in the Rub al Khali desert in Oman and Saudi Arabia, and may occur in the United Arab Emirates as well. It is listed as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN despite the limited information, as it is widely distributed and its habitat is not under threat.
Known predators of the Arabian jird include the sand cat, felis margarita. It is known to dig burrows and use them as shelter when threatened. It eats Abutilon fruticosum seeds.