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Gerbil – Meriones meridianus
Gerbil – Meriones meridianus
This group of small rodents lives in arid and desert areas of Africa, the Near and Middle East.
There are fifteen species. It should not be confused with Jerboas gerbils that are not of the same family and have a tail much longer and hind legs compared to body size.
Species Gerbils usually live in small groups in the wild. The territory of a group, which can reach several hundred square meters, focuses on a deep burrow provided by many branched galleries.
Gerbils are vegetarian animals – seed-eating to omnivore trend. Their physiology is adapted to arid conditions. They save water, drink little and urinate little, This particularity favore their domestication. Their hearing is highly developed, allowing them to locate the predators and their counterparts among the group.
Gerbils are the main source of food for carnivores, particularly birds of prey.
Their life expectancy in the wild rarely exceeds a year . They can be particularly harmful rodents.
