jird
/dʒəːd
/noun
A long-tailed burrowing rodent related to the gerbils, found in deserts and steppes from North Africa to China.
- Genus Meriones, family Muridae: several species.
- Most bushy tail jirds welcome cage companions but they treat humans like part of their terrain to be explored.
- Male jirds naturally spend most of their time above ground and can be housed in a cage or tank.
Origin
From Berber (a)gherda.