Mongolian gerbil Mongolian gerbil Meriones unguiculatus, the Mongolian gerbil or Mongolian jird, is a small rodent belonging to the subfamily Gerbillinae. It is the most widely known species of the gerbil subfamily, and is the most commonly kept as a small house pet or experimental animal. Under those conditions, it is known as the domesticated gerbil. Like the Syrian or golden hamster, it was first brought to the United States in 1954 by Dr. Victor Schwentker for use in scientific research. Forty-four pairs were caught in Mongolia and brought to England. They were described as having "squirrel colors... with long furry tails."
Somalia gerbil cushioned gerbil ("G. pulvinatus"), Harwood's gerbil ("Dipodillus harwoodi"), least gerbil "G. pusillus", Somalian gerbil "Dipodillus somalicus" and Waters's gerbil ("G. watersi"). The Somalia gerbil can be distinguished from the others by the hairy soles to its hind feet. The head-and-body length is about and the tail . The mass is about . The Somalia gerbil is native to the Horn of Africa. Its range includes Eritrea, Djibouti, eastern Ethiopia and northern Somalia. Its typical habitat is bare or scantily-vegetated, rocky plains, dry grassland and dry savannah. The Somalia gerbil is present in a large area of suitable habitat. No particular