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."
Cheesman's gerbil Cheesman's gerbil Cheesman's gerbil ("Gerbilus cheesmani") is a small rodent in the subfamily Gerbillinae of the family Muridae. It is distributed mainly in Arabian Peninsula to southwestern Iran. It has orange-brown fur, white underparts, large eyes and a very long tail. Cheesman's gerbil was first described by the British zoologist Oldfield Thomas in 1919. It was named in honour of its discoverer, the British military officer, explorer and ornithologist Robert Ernest Cheesman who collected it while on an exploratory expedition in Saudi Arabia. This gerbil is similar in appearance to the lesser Egyptian gerbil ("Gerbillus gerbillus") and Anderson's gerbil ("Gerbillus