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."
Tarabul's gerbil breeds during throughout the rainy season, July to September, beginning breeding at the end of the coll dry season in April and ending at the start of the cool dry season in November. Barn owls "Tyto alba" have been recorded as preying on this species. Tarabul's gerbil was considered to be a junior taxonomic synonym of the greater Egyptian gerbil "Gerbillis pyramidus" but has a different chromosome count of 40 rather than 38 and differs morphologically. Tarabul's gerbil Tarabul's gerbil ("Gerbillus tarabuli") is a species of small rodent which is found in arid regions of north western Africa. Tarabul's gerbil