Indian desert jird Indian desert jird The Indian desert jird or Indian desert gerbil ("Meriones hurrianae") is a species of jird found mainly in the Thar Desert in India. Jirds are closely related to gerbils. The Indian desert jird is found in southeastern Iran and Pakistan to northwestern India. In India they can be found in Rajasthan and Gujarat. The Indian desert jird has a grey-brown coat with yellowish-grey belly. It is approximately long and has a tail long. The distinguishing characteristics include short ears, long black claws and orange incisors. Jirds inhabit desert and barren areas preferring firm soil. They are not
Thar Desert hemionus khur") in the Rann of Kutch. They have evolved excellent survival strategies, their size is smaller than other similar animals living in different conditions, and they are mainly nocturnal. There are certain other factors responsible for the survival of these animals in the desert. Due to the lack of water in this region, transformation of the grasslands into cropland has been very slow. The protection provided to them by a local community, the Bishnois, is also a factor. Other mammals of the Thar Desert include a subspecies of red fox ("Vulpes vulpes pusilla") and the caracal. The region is