Mongolian Jird
Meriones unguiculatus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderRodentia (Rosegadors)
- FamilyMuridae (Old World Mice and Rats)
- GenusMeriones (Jirds)
- SpeciesMeriones unguiculatus (Mongolian Jird)
The Mongolian gerbil, also referred to as the Mongolian jird (Meriones unguiculatus), is a rodent belonging to the subfamily Gerbillinae. Their body size is typically 110–135 mm (4+1⁄4–5+1⁄4 in), with a 95–120 mm (3+3⁄4–4+3⁄4 in) tail, and body weight 60–130 g (2–4+1⁄2 oz), with adult males larger than females. The animal is used in science for research or kept as a small house pet. Their use in science dates back to the later half of the 19th century, but they only started to be kept as pets in the English-speaking world after 1954, when they were brought to the United States. However, their use in scientific research has fallen out of favor. Wikipedia →
50–60% of wildlife watchers report a Mongolian Jird sighting in Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park, based on 27 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park
Mid-day Jird
Meriones meridianus
Great Gerbil
Rhombomys opimus
Alashan Ground Squirrel
Spermophilus alashanicus
Siberian Jerboa
Allactaga sibirica
Desert Hamster
Phodopus roborovskii
Hairy-footed Jerboa
Dipus sagitta
Tarbagan Marmot
Marmota sibirica
Pallid Ground Squirrel
Spermophilus pallidicauda
Mongolian Hamster
Allocricetulus curtatus
Andrews's Three-toed Jerboa
Stylodipus andrewsi
Thick-tailed Pygmy Jerboa
Salpingotus crassicauda
📅 Monthly Probability
🌅 When They're Spotted
Most active at dawn and dusk · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park | 🇲🇳 Mongolia |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Mongolian Jird in Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park?
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Mongolian Jird sighting in Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park, based on 27 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Mongolian Jird in Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Mongolian Jird in Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park in our monthly data.