Breeding Shaws Jirds
Shaws Jirds breed less readily in captivity than Mongolians with some keepers attributing it to a lack of space in their habitat. Breeding pairs must have a secure nest box and ideally something that mimics their natural burrows in the wild to prevent young from developing stereotypical behaviour such as aimlessly digging to the corner of a tank.
Male and female pairs of Shaws Jirds do not get on well together, with the female often overally territorial towards food and nesting areas making pairings difficult. The most common solution appears to be to pair a young female up with an older male and separate after the first mating. Like Mongolian gerbils Shaws Jirds come into post-partum osterous (heat) hours after giving birth but unlike Mongolians it is important to separate before the male gets an opportunity to take advantage of this. Shaws Jirds sadly do not seem to have the same ability to cope with another litter so soon, with the second lot of babies often neglected sometimes leading to their death.
At around 24-26 days gestation is similar to Mongolian gerbils although pups develop at a faster rate. Litter size is around 3-7 and they can be weaned and separated into same-sex groups between 5-7 weeks of age.
Overview of Shaws Jirds
Although initially the Libyan Jird was more popular, around a decade ago Shaws Jirds were found to be a more handleable and easier pet to keep. They look very similar to Mongolian Gerbils but are closer to the size of a rat, with an adult male reaching up to 14 inches in length, half of which is their long elegant tail. They have a sandy base coat that is usually quite dark but can come in lighter shades and occasionally with a white head spot. They have larger, less hairy ears than a Mongolian gerbil.
Although they are sociable animals problems can occur with keeping female Shaws jirds together so it is advisable to keep females alone.
They are omnivorous and benefit from a varied diet that is predominately based on seeds and grains. They should also be given fresh fruit and vegetables and some meat on a semi-regular basis. Tinned cat food or mealworms can be used for this.