A guide to the help differentiate between these small, burrowing rodents
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How are jirds and gerbils related?
Both jirds and gerbils belong to the subfamily Gerbillinae. Within this lies the genus of jirds - Meriones. Therefore, all jirds are gerbils but not all gerbils are jirds.
What are the physical differences between jirds and gerbils?
Gerbils have longer tails, long furless ears and long hind feet. Jirds in turn, have shorter tails, small furry ears and strong, short black front claws.
How do jirds and gerbils differ from one another in activity and social behaviour?
All three gerbil species in India are nocturnal meanwhile the Indian desert jird is a diurnal rodent. Jirds are gregarious and tend to live in highly social groups whereas gerbils avoid overlapping burrows and are usually solitary.
About the Authors
Yashaswi Rao
is a wildlife biologist passionate about addressing contemporary conservation issues through cutting-edge interdisciplinary research. He is an alum of the MSc Wildlife Program at the National Centre for Biological Sciences.
