Gerbil
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? GerbilFossil range: Late Miocene -
Recent
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Genera
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Gerbillus Microdillus Meriones Rhombomys Psammomys Sekeetamys Brachiones Desmodilliscus Pachyuromys Tatera Taterillus Desmodillus Gerbillurus Ammodillus |
A gerbil is a small mammal of the order Rodentia.
Once known simply as "desert rats", the gerbil subfamily includes about 110 species of African, Indian, and Asian rodents, including sand rats and jirds, all of which are adapted to arid habitats. Therefore, most are primarily nocturnal, and almost all are omnivorous.
One Mongolian species, Meriones unguiculatus, also known as the Clawed Jird, is a gentle and hardy animal that has become a popular pet. It was first brought to the United States in 1954 by Dr. Victor Schwentker for use in research.
Gerbils are typically between six and twelve inches (150 to 300 mm) long, and their tail makes up approximately one half of their total length. One species, however, the Great Gerbil, or Rhombomys opimus, originally native to Turkmenistan, can grow to more than 16 inches (400 mm) in length. As of August 19, 2003, officials in western China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region began releasing eagles to combat the damage they say the great gerbils have done to eleven million acres (46,000 km²) of grassland. [1]
Subfamily Gerbillinae
The subfamily Gerbillinae is in the family Muridae along with the mice, rats, and their relatives. This family belongs to the superfamily Muroidea, which also includes hamsters and voles. Subfamily Gerbilinae consists of the following 14 genera, 9 subgenera and 110 species:
- Tribe Gerbillini
- Subtribe Gerbillina
- Genus
Gerbillus (Typical gerbils; Northern pygmy gerbils)
- subgenus
Handecapleura
- Gerbillus campestris
- Gerbillus lowei
- Gerbillus somalicus
- Gerbillus stigmonyx
- Gerbillus dasyurus
- Gerbillus vivax
- Gerbillus mackilligini
- Gerbillus jamesi
- Gerbillus maghrebi
- Gerbillus amoenus
- Gerbillus poecillops
- Gerbillus famulus
- Gerbillus nanus
- Gerbillus brockmani
- Gerbillus garamantis
- Gerbillus grobbeni
- Gerbillus principulus
- Gerbillus quadrimaculatus
- Gerbillus watersi
- Gerbillus juliani
- Gerbillus mesopotamiae
- Gerbillus henleyi
- Gerbillus syrticus
- Gerbillus pusillus
- Gerbillus percivali
- Gerbillus diminutus
- Gerbillus ruberrimus
- Gerbillus bottai
- Gerbillus harwoodi
- Gerbillus muriculus
- Gerbillus mauritaniae (sometimes considered a separate genus Monodia)
- Subgenus
Dipodillus
- Gerbillus simoni
- Gerbillus zakariai
- Subgenus
Gerbillus
- Gerbillus gerbillus
- Gerbillus cheesmani
- Gerbillus cosensi
- Gerbillus aquilus
- Gerbillus gleadowi
- Gerbillus andersoni
- Gerbillus bonhotei
- Gerbillus pyramidum
- Gerbillus acticola
- Gerbillus burtoni
- Gerbillus dongolanus
- Gerbillus floweri
- Gerbillus riggenbachi
- Gerbillus tarabuli
- Gerbillus allenbyi
- Gerbillus hesperinus
- Gerbillus pulvinatus
- Gerbillus bilensis
- Gerbillus perpallidus
- Gerbillus latastei
- Gerbillus dunni
- Gerbillus hoogstraali
- Gerbillus occiduus
- Gerbillus rosalinda
- Gerbillus agag
- Gerbillus dalloni
- Gerbillus nigeriae
- Gerbillus nancillus
- subgenus
Handecapleura
- Genus
Microdillus (listed as a subgenus of
Gerbillus until 1977)
- Microdillus peeli
- Genus
Gerbillus (Typical gerbils; Northern pygmy gerbils)
- Subtribe Merionina
- Genus
Meriones (jirds)
- Subgenus
Parameriones
- Meriones persicus
- Meriones rex
- Subgenus
Cheliones
- Meriones hurrianae
- Subgenus
Meriones
- Meriones vinogradovi
- Meriones tamariscinus
- Meriones tristrami
- Subgenus
Pallasiomys
- Meriones unguiculatus
- Meriones meridianus
- Meriones dahli
- Meriones chengi
- Meriones shawi
- Meriones libycus
- Meriones arimalius
- Meriones caudatus
- Meriones crassus
- Meriones sacramenti
- Meriones zarudnyi
- Subgenus
Parameriones
- Genus
Rhombomys (Great Gerbil)
- Rhombomys opimus
- Genus
Psammomys (Sand rats)
- Psammomys obesus
- Psammomys vexillaris
- Genus
Sekeetamys (Bushy-tailed jird; listed as a subgenus of
Meriones until 1956)
- Sekeetamys calurus
- Genus
Brachiones (Przewalski's gerbil)
- Brachiones przewalski (discovered by Nikolai Przhevalsky)
- Genus
Meriones (jirds)
- Subtribe Desmodilliscina
- Genus
Desmodilliscus
- Desmodilliscus braueri
- Genus
Desmodilliscus
- Subtribe Pachyuromyina
- Genus
Pachyuromys (Fat-tailed gerbil)
- Pachyuromys duprasi
- Genus
Pachyuromys (Fat-tailed gerbil)
- Subtribe Gerbillina
- Tribe Taterillini
- Subtribe Taterillina
- Genus
Tatera (Large naked-soled gerbils)
- Subgenus
Gerbilliscus
- Tatera boehmi
- Subgenus
Taterona
- Tatera leucogaster
- Tatera nigricauda
- Tatera robusta
- Tatera guineae
- Tatera phillipsi
- Tatera afra
- Tatera valida
- Tatera kempi
- Tatera gambiana
- Tatera brantsii
- Tatera inclusa
- Tatera pringlei
- Subgenus
Tatera
- Tatera indica
- Subgenus
Gerbilliscus
- Genus
Taterillus (Small naked-soled gerbils)
- Taterillus gracilis
- Taterillus petteri
- Taterillus pygargus
- Taterillus arenarius
- Taterillus lacustris
- Taterillus congicus
- Taterillus harringtoni
- Taterillus emini
- Genus
Tatera (Large naked-soled gerbils)
- Subtribe Gerbillurina
- Genus
Desmodillus (Short-eared gerbil)
- Desmodillus auricularis
- Genus
Gerbillurus (Southern pygmy gerbils)
- Gerbillurus paeba
- Gerbillurus tytonis
- Gerbillurus vallinus
- Gerbillurus setzeri
- Genus
Desmodillus (Short-eared gerbil)
- Subtribe Taterillina
- Tribe Ammodillini
- Genus
Ammodillus (Walo)
- Ammodillus imbellis
- Genus
Ammodillus (Walo)
Trivia
- When a gerbil is suddenly surprised or startled it may begin thumping his back feet rythymically (tap tap tap....tap tap..tap tap); this habit is to warn others of imposing danger, even if there aren't others around. It is also widely used when two gerbils mate.