Mammals of the WorldGreat Gerbil
Rhombomys opimus
- Order
- Rodentia
- Family
- Muridae
- Genus
- Rhombomys
- IUCN status
- LC
- Distribution
- Kazakhstan|Uzbekistan|Turkmenistan|Iran|Kyrgyzstan|Tajikistan|Afghanistan|Pakistan|China|Mongolia
- Realm
- Palearctic
About this species
- Size
- Large gerbil with a stout body
- Diet
- Mostly desert and steppe plants
- Habitat
- Arid clay and sandy plains
The great gerbil is the largest living gerbil, with a stout body, short neck, large head and a fully furred tail ending in a darker tuft. Its upperparts are sandy yellow to grey-brown and the belly is much paler, colours that merge with arid ground. Strong foreclaws and compact limbs are adapted for excavating complex burrows. It is much heavier and more thickset than the small jerboas and gerbils sharing Central Asian deserts. (Wikipedia, great gerbil account)
Across Central Asian deserts and dry steppe, great gerbils form colonies centred on deep, branching burrow systems with food stores and several entrances. They feed mainly on desert shrubs, shoots, seeds and other plant material, cutting vegetation and carrying it below ground. Animals are active by day and warn colony members with calls or tail movements. Breeding and surface activity vary with season. The general source includes Mongolia in the range but gives no dependable national locality, so no viewing recommendation is made. (Wikipedia, great gerbil account)
Description: Wildlife of Mongolia guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)