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 Somalia gerbil The Somalia gerbil ("Gerbillus dunni") is a rodent species distributed mainly in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Djibouti. It is an animal of dry grassland and rocky plains. It was first described by the British zoologist Oldfield Thomas as "Gerbillus dunni" in 1904. Its karyotype is 2n=74. Its natural habitat is not under threat and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern". The Somalia gerbil is one of eight very similar species of gerbil native to northeastern Africa, the others being Berbera gerbil ("G. acticola"), Brockman's gerbil ("G. brockmani"),