Gerbillinae is one of the subfamilies of the
rodent
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are nat ...
family
Muridae
The Muridae, or murids, are the largest family of rodents and of mammals, containing approximately 1,383 species, including many species of mice, rats, and gerbils found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia.
The name Muridae comes ...
and includes the gerbils, jirds, and sand rats. Once known as desert rats, the subfamily includes about 110 species of
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
n,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n, and
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
n 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
In zoology, a crepuscular animal is one that is active primarily during the twilight period, being matutinal, vespertine, or both. This is distinguished from diurnal and nocturnal behavior, where an animal is active during the hours of daylig ...
behavior), and almost all are
omnivorous
An omnivore () is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nut ...
.
The gerbil got its name as a
diminutive form
A diminutive is a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment. A ( abbreviated ) is a word-format ...
of "
jerboa
Jerboas (from ar, جربوع ') are hopping desert rodents found throughout North Africa and Asia, and are members of the family Dipodidae. They tend to live in hot deserts.
When chased, jerboas can run at up to . Some species are preyed on b ...
," an unrelated group of rodents occupying a similar
ecological niche
In ecology, a niche is the match of a species to a specific environmental condition.
Three variants of ecological niche are described by
It describes how an organism or population responds to the distribution of resources and competitors (for ...
. Gerbils are typically between long, including the tail, which makes up about half of their total length. One species, the
great gerbil
The great gerbil (''Rhombomys opimus'') is a large rodent found throughout much of Central Asia.
Description
The largest of the gerbils, great gerbils have a head and body length of . Their skulls are distinctive by having two grooves in each i ...
(''Rhombomys opimus''), originally native to
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan ( or ; tk, Türkmenistan / Түркменистан, ) is a country located in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the sout ...
, 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
*Tribe
Ammodillini
**Genus ''
Ammodillus''
***
Ammodile, ''Ammodillus imbellis''
*Tribe
Desmodilliscini
**Genus ''
Desmodilliscus''
***
Pouched gerbil
The pouched gerbil (''Desmodilliscus braueri'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is the only species in the genus ''Desmodilliscus'' and the subtribe Desmodilliscina.
It is found across western Africa from Mauritania east to Sud ...
, ''Desmodilliscus braueri''
**Genus ''
Pachyuromys''
***
Fat-tailed gerbil
The fat-tailed gerbil (''Pachyuromys duprasi''), also called the duprasi gerbil or doop, is a rodent belonging to the subfamily Gerbillinae. It is the only member of the genus ''Pachyuromys''. These rodents are the most docile species of the ger ...
, ''Pachyuromys duprasi''
*Tribe
Gerbillini
**Subtribe
Gerbillina
***Genus ''
Dipodillus
''Dipodillus'' is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae. It is sometimes classified as a subgenus of the genus Gerbillus.
It contains the following species:
* Botta's gerbil (''Dipodillus bottai'')
* North African gerbil (''Dipodillus campe ...
''
****
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
The Kerkennah Islands gerbil (''Dipodillus zakariai'') is a rodent from Kerkennah Islands, Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
...
, ''Dipodillus zakariai''
***Genus ''
Gerbillus
''Gerbillus'' is a genus that contains most common and the most diverse gerbils. In 2010, after morphological and molecular studies ''Dipodillus
''Dipodillus'' is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae. It is sometimes classified as a subgen ...
''
****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
''Gerbillus'' is a genus that contains most common and the most diverse gerbils. In 2010, after morphological and molecular studies ''Dipodillus
''Dipodillus'' is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae. It is sometimes classified as a subgen ...
''
*****
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
Lataste's gerbil (''Gerbillus latastei'') is distributed mainly in Tunisia, Libya, and possibly Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, ...
, ''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
The Somali pygmy gerbil (''Microdillus peeli'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is the only species in the genus ''Microdillus''. It is found only in Somalia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland
Tro ...
, ''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
Sundevall's jird (''Meriones crassus'') is a species of rodent in the family of Muridae. It is found in Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Pakistan, Morocco, Niger, Palestine, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, ...
, ''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
Tristram's jird (''Meriones tristrami'') is a species of rodent that lives in the Middle East. It is named after the Reverend Henry Baker Tristram who collected the first specimens. It is up to long, and lives in burrows in steppes and semi-dese ...
, ''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
''Psammomys'' is a genus of rodents in the family Muridae.
The etymology of the genus name derives from the two Ancient Greek words (), meaning "sand", and (), meaning "mouse, rat".
The complete nuclear DNA genome of one ''Psamomys'' species ...
''
****
Fat sand rat
The fat sand rat (''Psammomys obesus'') is a terrestrial mammal from the gerbil subfamily that is mostly found in North Africa and the Middle East, ranging from Mauritania to the Arabian Peninsula. This species usually lives in sandy deserts, but ...
, ''Psammomys obesus''
****
Thin sand rat, ''Psammomys vexillaris''
***Genus ''
Rhombomys''
****
Great gerbil
The great gerbil (''Rhombomys opimus'') is a large rodent found throughout much of Central Asia.
Description
The largest of the gerbils, great gerbils have a head and body length of . Their skulls are distinctive by having two grooves in each i ...
, ''Rhombomys opimus''
**''
Incertae sedis
' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertaint ...
''
***Genus ''
Sekeetamys''
****
Bushy-tailed jird
The bushy-tailed jird or bushy-tailed dipodil (''Sekeetamys calurus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is the only species in the genus ''Sekeetamys''. It is found in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan. Its natural ha ...
, ''Sekeetamys calurus''
*Tribe
Gerbillurini
**Genus ''
Desmodillus''
***
Cape short-eared gerbil
The Cape short-eared gerbil (''Desmodillus auricularis'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is the only species in the genus ''Desmodillus''.
It is found in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa.
Its natural habitats are hot ...
, ''Desmodillus auricularis''
**Genus ''
Gerbilliscus
''Gerbilliscus'' is a genus of rodent in the subfamily Gerbillinae (gerbils) of the family Muridae. It contains the following species, all native to Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after A ...
''
***
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
''Gerbillurus'' is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae
The Muridae, or murids, are the largest family of rodents and of mammals, containing approximately 1,383 species, including many species of mice, rats, and gerbils found naturally thro ...
''
***
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
The Indian gerbil (''Tatera indica'') also known as antelope rat, is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.
It is found in southern Asia from Syria to Bangladesh.
It is the only species in the genus ''Tatera''. Members of the genus ''Gerb ...
, ''Tatera indica''
*Tribe
Taterillini
**Genus ''
Taterillus
''Taterillus'' is a genus of rodents. The species within this genus can only be reliably distinguished on the basis of karyotype
A karyotype is the general appearance of the complete set of metaphase chromosomes in the cells of a species or in ...
''
***
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.
{{Authority control
Mammal subfamilies
Taxa named by John Edward Gray