Buxton's jird facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Buxton's jird |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Meriones
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| Species: |
sacramenti
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The Buxton's jird (scientific name: Meriones sacramenti) is a small, furry rodent. It belongs to the Muridae family, which includes mice and rats. You can find this special animal in the Negev desert and along the northern coast of the Sinai peninsula.
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Who is Buxton?
This jird is named after a British man called Sir Edward North Buxton. He was a hunter who also cared a lot about nature. Sir Edward helped start a group called the Society for the Preservation of the Wild Fauna of the Empire. This group is now a big conservation organization called Flora and Fauna International. They work to protect animals and plants around the world.
What Does It Look Like?
Buxton's jird has fur that is a dark cinnamon-brown color. It has a noticeable black, brush-like tail. Like other jirds, its fur is long, soft, and thick on its body. The fur on its tail is short near the body. It gets longer towards the tip, making it look bushy.
The sides of its body are usually lighter than its back. It often has lighter patches around its face. Its belly is typically white, pale yellow, or light gray. Its feet are pale and have strong, light-colored claws.
Size of a Buxton's Jird
The body of a Buxton's jird is about 14–19 centimetres (5.5–7.5 in) long. Its tail is almost as long, measuring 11–17 centimetres (4.3–6.7 in).
Jirds usually have narrow, well-formed ears. Their long tails are nearly the same length as their head and body combined. Most jirds have slightly longer back legs. These legs help them leap and jump. The skull of a Buxton's jird is stronger and more angled than other jird species.
Where Do They Live?
Buxton's jird lives only in a specific area. This area includes the coastal part of northern Sinai in Egypt. It also lives in Israel, specifically in the northern Negev desert. You can also find it on the coastal plain south of the Yarkon River.
Their Home Environment
This jird prefers dry, sandy places. Its home is mostly coastal sand dunes, deserts, and dry grasslands. These areas usually have only a few plants. However, people have also seen them in farm fields, open grassy areas, and mountain valleys.
Life Underground: The Jird's Home
Buxton's jird spends most of its time living in burrows. These are tunnels and rooms dug underground. Jirds dig their burrows in soft soil. The burrows can be very simple or very complex.
Burrow Design
Some burrows can go several meters (many feet) deep underground. They might have many entrances. They also have a complex system of connecting tunnels and rooms. Other burrows are much shallower. They have fewer entrances and tunnels.
The burrow usually has several rooms for storing food. These food storage rooms are often close to the surface. Deeper underground, there are one or more nest chambers. This is where they sleep and raise their young.
Family Life in the Burrow
A burrow is usually home to a male and female jird pair. They also live with their most recent babies. Jirds can be quite protective of their space. They might act aggressively towards jirds they don't know. But they usually get along well with their own family members. Sometimes, different jird families might even share a burrow.
What Do They Eat?
We don't know much specific information about what Buxton's jird eats. But it's likely similar to other jird species. Most jirds eat a variety of plants. This includes green leaves, roots, and bulbs. They also eat seeds, grains, fruits, and insects. Buxton's jird might eat more leaves than other types of jirds.
Staying Active in Winter
Jirds are not known to hibernate (sleep through the winter). Some species might enter a state called torpor. This is like a short, light sleep to save energy. Other jirds stay underground all winter. They live off the food they have stored in their burrows.
Protecting the Buxton's Jird
The Buxton's jird is listed as a vulnerable animal. This means it is at risk of becoming endangered. This information comes from the IUCN Red List.
Why Are They Vulnerable?
A big threat to Buxton's jird is habitat loss. This means their natural homes are disappearing. In the eastern parts of their range, cities are growing. This is called urbanization. Also, land is being turned into farms, especially in southern Israel.
The northern coastal plain of Israel has shrunk by more than half since the mid-1900s. More people and more building in the area continue to put pressure on the jird's coastal homes.
Conservation Efforts
There are no specific plans just for protecting Buxton's jird. However, they do live in several protected areas in southern Israel. These protected areas might offer them some safety.
