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[1] (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 150 and 300 mm (6 and 12 in) 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 400 mm (16 in). The average adult gerbil weighs about 70 grams (2+1⁄2 ounces).
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.
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.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gerbillinae.