Mongolian gerbil They are somewhat larger than mice, with a body about long (and a tail of similar length), with a body mass averaging in females and in males. The Mongolian gerbil is classified as a "prohibited new organism" under New Zealand's Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, preventing it from being imported into the country. The species is also prohibited in the US state of California. "Meriones unguiculatus" evolved on the semideserts and steppes of Mongolia. There, they developed long legs for jumping and running from predators, teeth to deal with hard seeds and plant matter, and water conservation techniques
Gerbil and hardy animal that has become a popular small house pet. It was first brought from China to Paris in the 19th century. It was brought to the United States much later, in 1954, by Dr. Victor Schwentker for use in research. Notably, it is illegal to keep gerbils as pets in California and New Zealand. 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 1/2 of their total length. One species, the great gerbil, "Rhombomys