Many different species of wild gerbil live in the harsh deserts of Africa, Asia and China, but the animal most people consider a gerbil is the Mongolian. One of 14 species of gerbil, all of which are sometimes called sand rats or jirds, the Mongolian was discovered by the French missionary Pere David during his travels in Mongolia and China. In 1935, Professor Kasuga captured several pairs of the desert animal and took them back to Japan. There the animals were bred freely, then passed to scientists in the United States in the 1950s. The gerbil's friendly nature and ease of maintenance soon led to its popularity as a pet.

Pet gerbils are active in spurts throughout the day and night. Long, sensitive whiskers help the gerbil avoid bumping into things. Like many prey animals, the gerbil has excellent hearing. Its large eyes are positioned one on each side of its head to help it see what is approaching on both sides as well as in front and behind. To see even more of its surroundings, a gerbil will stand on its powerful hind legs. These powerful legs also help the gerbil jump considerable distances.

To help maintain its balance when it jumps or stands on its hind legs, the gerbil has a long, furred tail. The end of the tail sports a tuft of fur that is usually a different color than the gerbil's body color. Some scientists speculate that the tuft is meant to confuse a predator. If a predator grabs the gerbil's tail, the tip will come off as a lizard's tail does. Unfortuately, unlike a lizard, the gerbil's tail won't grow back.

Author(s): Marian Bray (with additions by the CRITTERS USA staff)

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