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Introduction

The Persian jird is a warm agouti colour with a light/white underside divided by a distinct line. The nails are colourless and the hind feet soles are dark and hairless. Persian jirds are not as long as Shaw's Jirds from tip of nose to base of tail (at between 130-170 mm) but their tail is much longer adding up to 190 mm to their entire length. The tip of tail is covered with longer darker hairs.

Persians have long ears and big dark eyes (with a white spot above the eyes).

The Persian jird lives in a rocky environment and can be found in central/ east central Asia. Their burrows can be extensive with many entrances, though not usually deeper than 1 metre. They like to nest between boulders close to the surface and live in small family groups in the wild.

Behaviour

Persian jirds are peaceful rodents and fighting hardly ever occurs. I have however only kept these jirds in pairs. They are also very playful and can be naughty at times! Escaping appears to be a hobby of theirs so be careful- these jirds are very intelligent. They can be handled relatively easily and do not appear to be particularly scared of humans. Like most rodents the females get very protective towards their young.

Persians are mainly nocturnal but like Mongolian gerbils become inquisitive and explore during the day when people are about.

Housing

It is very important to have a large cage to keep Persian jirds. They love to climb and jump and will not be happy in any smaller than a 3-foot tank. If you wish to breed these rodents, a 5-foot tank is the smallest I would advise.

Wood shavings are a suitable substrate but enough must be provided so that they can burrow. Likewise, provide stones, branches and even rope to climb on.

A nest box is a good idea, as they sometimes like somewhere to hide or keep cool. Bedding can be given in the form of hay or tissue.

Feeding

Persians can be fed standard hamster mix, which should be supplemented with vegetables and fruit. Protein can be supplied by dried cat food and the occasional mealworm /wax worm. Persian jirds also like to hoard food.

Make sure the jirds are provided with a fresh water supply in a bottle suspended from the lid as they tend to bury bowls!

Breeding

Persian jirds breed seasonally -in spring and autumn- but in captivity usually have litters between May and September. It appears that these jirds mate all year round though. The gestation period is roughly one month with average litter sizes of about 7 pups. Normally the whole litter survives and they have been known to live for up to 7 years. Live food input and extra protein is usually needed to induce breeding.

In my experience I have found that Persians don’t easily pair up with new individuals- especially if they have been paired up previously to a different animal.