by Erin Byers

Created on: September 28, 2008

Walk into any local pet store and you will see an array of rodents available to choose as a pet: hamsters, Guinea Pigs, mice, and gerbils. Do you ever wonder where these animals live in the wild? Definitely not in your backyard! Gerbils are popular pets, and the most common type is the Mongolian Gerbil. We can thank Dr. Victor Schwentker for introducing the U.S. to this cute critter in 1954. Unfortunately he brought this gerbil to the U.S. for use in research, not to keep as a pet.

The Mongolian Gerbil is obviously from Mongolia. But, the part of Mongolia that this gerbil comes from may be surprising. The Mongolian steppe, one of the harshest environments in that region, is where this gerbil can be found in its natural environment. Temperatures range from -40 degrees Fahrenheit (winter) and 122 degrees Fahrenheit (summer). The steppe is a semi-arid and rocky environment. Because of this inhospitable environment, the Mongolian Gerbil has few natural predators. Not many animals can thrive in this type of environment like the Mongolian Gerbil. Birds of prey, snakes, weasels, foxes, and wolves are some common predators.

Captive breeding of the Mongolian Gerbil has yielded a variety of fur colors. Agouti, a sandy gold color, is the natural color for all wild Mongolian Gerbils. They have developed long, strong hind legs in order to jump and avoid becoming prey. They are also superb diggers. In the wild, they dig a complex system of burrows where they live, store food, and avoid predators. Usually only one family inhabits each burrow system. Herbivores themselves, these gerbils forage for food which they store in their burrows.

Mongolian Gerbils are diurnal, meaning that they are more active during the day. Most other desert animals are nocturnal, meaning they are more active at night. During the warmest and coolest part of the day though, Mongolian Gerbils use their burrows to stay protected from the extreme temperature. They are social animals, and communicate frequently by squeaking or thumping their hind legs. Mongolian Gerbils are peaceful in general; however females are usually more competitive with each other than males.

Another unique characteristic of the Mongolian Gerbil is their ability to conserve water. They have adapted to their extreme environment by their ability to store water in their fat cells. They produce small amounts of urine and have dry feces as well.

These gerbils have come a long way from the Mongolian steppe and have found their way into the homes and hearts of many pet owners!

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