Indian Gerbil

About this species

Size

Head and body 17–20cm; tail about half body length

Diet

Grains, seeds, grasses, leaves, roots and insects; occasionally small mammals

Habitat

Sandy plains and grassland suitable for burrowing

Range

West and South Asia, from Syria to Bangladesh

Litter size

1–10 young, usually 5–6

Gestation

21–30 days

The Indian gerbil, also called the antelope rat, is one of the largest gerbils and the only species in its genus. The back and whole head are light brown, sometimes with a rusty wash, and the underparts are white. The tail is fully furred, dark blackish brown with greyish sides and a prominent black tuft at the tip. The eyes are large, and it has a distinctive bounding gait when running. Head and body length is 17–20 cm (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is found from Syria east to Bangladesh. It is nocturnal, does not travel far from its burrows, and lives in loose communities with overlapping home ranges. It eats grains, seeds, plants, roots, insects and occasionally small vertebrates, stores grain in the dry season, and eats more arthropods in the wet months. Breeding is year-round, with litters of 1–10 young after 21–30 days (Animal Diversity Web; Wikipedia, general species account).

Description: Wildlife of India guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)