Where are sand rats found? - briefly
Sand rats inhabit arid and semi‑arid areas of North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, including deserts such as the Sahara, Arabian, and the steppes of Kazakhstan. They occupy sandy soils with sparse vegetation, where they construct extensive burrow systems.
Where are sand rats found? - in detail
Sand rats occupy arid and semi‑arid zones across a broad stretch of the Old World. The primary species, Psammomys obesus (fat sand rat), inhabits the Saharan fringe and the Arabian Peninsula, ranging from Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia through Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. Populations extend eastward into Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, where they are found in desert plains and irrigated valleys.
Another common genus, Meriones, includes several sand‑rat species. Meriones crassus resides in the steppes of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, while Meriones libycus occupies the North African deserts of Libya and Egypt. Meriones libycus also appears in the Levant region, favoring sandy dunes and sparsely vegetated scrub.
Habitat characteristics are consistent across the range:
- Loose, fine sand or loamy soils that permit burrowing.
- Sparse vegetation such as chenopods, halophytes, and low shrubs.
- Low annual precipitation (typically <250 mm) and high temperature fluctuations.
- Presence of underground water sources or occasional surface moisture in oases and irrigated fields.
Altitude tolerance varies by species; Psammomys obesus is recorded from sea level up to 1,200 m, whereas Meriones species can inhabit elevations of 1,500–2,000 m in steppe‑like environments.
Ecologically, sand rats serve as primary consumers of seeds and tender plant parts, influencing vegetation dynamics in desert ecosystems. Their distribution reflects adaptation to extreme temperatures, limited water availability, and the need for extensive burrow networks for thermoregulation and predator avoidance.