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."
Boehm's gerbil the lower side white, apart from the terminal portion which is white all round, often with a small tuft of white hairs at the tip. Boehm's gerbil lives in a burrow with one or two entrances which it either digs itself or uses a pre-existing burrow of another gerbil species or a mole-rat. It is omnivorous, emerging at night to forage for vegetable material and insects, possibly over a large area. Breeding takes place at different times of year in different parts of its range, often coinciding with the rainy season. Boehm's gerbil Boehm's gerbil ("Gerbilliscus boehmi") is a species