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 highly mobile due to strong winds occurring before the onset of the monsoon. The Luni River is the only river integrated into the desert. Rainfall is limited to per year, mostly falling from July to September. Salt water lakes within the Thar Desert include the Sambhar, Kuchaman, Didwana, Pachpadra and Phalodi in Rajasthan and Kharaghoda in Gujarat. These lakes receive and collect rain water during monsoon and evaporate during the dry season. The salt is derived by the weathering of rocks in the region. Lithic tools belonging to the prehistoric Aterian culture of the Maghreb have been discovered in Middle