Gerbillinae is one of the subfamilies of the rodent family Muridae and includes the gerbils, jirds, and sand rats. Once known as desert rats, the subfamily includes about 110 species of African, Indian, and Asian rodents, including sand rats and jirds, all of which are adapted to arid habitats. Most are primarily active during the day, making them diurnal (but some species, including the common household pet, exhibit crepuscular behavior), and almost all are omnivorous.

The gerbil got its name as a diminutive form of "jerboa", an unrelated group of rodents occupying a similar ecological niche. Gerbils are typically between long, including the tail, which makes up about half of their total length. One species, the great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus), originally native to Turkmenistan, can grow to more than . The average adult gerbil weighs about .

One species, the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus), also known as the clawed jird, is a gentle and hardy animal that has become a popular small house pet. It is also used in some scientific research.

Classification

SUBFAMILY GERBILLINAE Genus Ammodillus Ammodile, Ammodillus imbellis Tribe Desmodilliscini Genus Desmodilliscus Pouched gerbil, Desmodilliscus braueri Genus Pachyuromys Fat-tailed gerbil, Pachyuromys duprasi Tribe Gerbillini Subtribe Gerbillina Genus Dipodillus Botta's gerbil, Dipodillus bottai North African gerbil, Dipodillus campestris Wagner's gerbil, Dipodillus dasyurus Harwood's gerbil, Dipodillus harwoodi James's gerbil, Dipodillus jamesi Lowe's gerbil, Dipodillus lowei Mackilligin's gerbil, Dipodillus mackilligini Greater short-tailed gerbil, Dipodillus maghrebi Rupicolous gerbil, Dipodillus rupicola Lesser short-tailed gerbil, Dipodillus simoni Somalian gerbil, Dipodillus somalicus Khartoum gerbil, Dipodillus stigmonyx Kerkennah Islands gerbil, Dipodillus zakariai Genus Gerbillus Subgenus Hendecapleura Pleasant gerbil, Gerbillus amoenus Brockman's gerbil, Gerbillus brockmani Black-tufted gerbil, Gerbillus famulus Algerian gerbil, Gerbillus garamantis Grobben's gerbil, Gerbillus grobbeni Pygmy gerbil, Gerbillus henleyi Mauritanian gerbil, Gerbillus mauritaniae (sometimes considered a separate genus Monodia) Harrison's gerbil, Gerbillus mesopotamiae Darfur gerbil, Gerbillus muriculus Balochistan gerbil, Gerbillus nanus Large Aden gerbil, Gerbillus poecilops Principal gerbil, Gerbillus principulus Least gerbil, Gerbillus pusillus Sand gerbil, Gerbillus syrticus Waters's gerbil, Gerbillus watersi Subgenus Gerbillus Berbera gerbil, Gerbillus acticola Agag gerbil, Gerbillus agag Anderson's gerbil, Gerbillus andersoni Swarthy gerbil, Gerbillus aquilus Burton's gerbil, Gerbillus burtoni Cheesman's gerbil, Gerbillus cheesmani Dongola gerbil, Gerbillus dongolanus Somalia gerbil, Gerbillus dunni Flower's gerbil, Gerbillus floweri Lesser Egyptian gerbil, Gerbillus gerbillus Indian hairy-footed gerbil, Gerbillus gleadowi Western gerbil, Gergbillus hesperinus Hoogstraal's gerbil, Gerbillus hoogstraali Lataste's gerbil, Gerbillus latastei Sudan gerbil, Gerbillus nancillus Nigerian gerbil, Gerbillus nigeriae Occidental gerbil, Gerbillus occiduus Pale gerbil, Gerbillus perpallidus Cushioned gerbil, Gerbillus pulvinatus Greater Egyptian gerbil, Gerbillus pyramidum Rosalinda gerbil, Gerbillus rosalinda Tarabul's gerbil, Gerbillus tarabuli Genus Microdillus Somali pygmy gerbil, Microdillus peeli Subtribe Rhombomyina Genus Brachiones Przewalski's gerbil, Brachiones przewalskii Genus Meriones Subgenus Meriones Tamarisk jird, Meriones tamariscinus Subgenus Parameriones Persian jird, Meriones persicus King jird, Meriones rex Subgenus Pallasiomys Arabian jird, Meriones arimalius Cheng's jird, Meriones chengi Sundevall's jird, Meriones crassus Dahl's jird, Meriones dahli Moroccan jird, Meriones grandis Libyan jird, Meriones libycus Midday jird, Meriones meridianus Buxton's jird, Meriones sacramenti Shaw's jird, Meriones shawi Tristram's jird, Meriones tristrami Mongolian jird (Mongolian Gerbil), Meriones unguiculatus Vinogradov's jird, Meriones vinogradovi Zarudny's jird, Meriones zarudnyi Subgenus Cheliones Indian desert jird, Meriones hurrianae Genus Psammomys Fat sand rat, Psammomys obesus Thin sand rat, Psammomys vexillaris Genus Rhombomys Great gerbil, Rhombomys opimus Incertae sedis Genus Sekeetamys Bushy-tailed jird, Sekeetamys calurus Tribe Gerbillurini Genus Desmodillus Cape short-eared gerbil, Desmodillus auricularis Genus Gerbilliscus Cape gerbil, Gerbilliscus afra Boehm's gerbil, Gerbilliscus boehmi Highveld gerbil, Gerbilliscus brantsii Guinean gerbil, Gerbilliscus guineae Gorongoza gerbil, Gerbilliscus inclusus Kemp's gerbil, Gerbilliscus kempi Bushveld gerbil, Gerbilliscus leucogaster Black-tailed gerbil, Gerbilliscus nigricaudus Phillips's gerbil, Gerbilliscus phillipsi Fringe-tailed gerbil, Gerbilliscus robustus Savanna gerbil, Gerbilliscus validus Genus Gerbillurus Hairy-footed gerbil, Gerbillurus paeba Namib brush-tailed gerbil, Gerbillurus setzeri Dune hairy-footed gerbil, Gerbillurus tytonis Bushy-tailed hairy-footed gerbil, Gerbillurus vallinus Genus Tatera Indian gerbil, Tatera indica Tribe Taterillini Genus Taterillus Robbins's tateril, Taterillus arenarius Congo gerbil, Taterillus congicus Emin's gerbil, Taterillus emini Gracile tateril, Taterillus gracilis Harrington's gerbil, Taterillus harringtoni Lake Chad gerbil, Taterillus lacustris Petter's gerbil, Taterillus petteri Senegal gerbil, Taterillus pygargus Tranieri's tateril, Taterillus tranieri

References Citations

Resources CMDC C111 "Normative Biology Diseases Gerbils"—Division of Comparative Medicine, Office of Research & Innovation, University of South Florida McKenna, M. C. and S. K. Bell. 1997. Classification of Mammals above the Species Level. Columbia University Press, New York. Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton. 1993. "Family Muridae". pp. 501–755 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder, eds. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. Nowak, R. M. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World, Vol. 2. Johns Hopkins University Press, London. Pavlinov, I. Ya., Yu. A. Dubrovskiy, O. L. Rossolimo, E. G. Potapova. 1990. Gerbils of the World. Nauka, Moscow.