gerbils

gerbils

Gerbillinae (gerbils) belong to a subfamily of voles. This subfamily consists of more than ninety species that occur in Africa, large parts of Europe and Asia. Gerbils are busy and curious little animals that naturally live in warm and dry areas. They are mainly nocturnal, cooling down in their burrows during the hottest parts of the day. At night, these same burrows provide shelter from the cold.

As soon as the sun goes down, gerbils start looking for food. Some of this is stored in the cave's pantry. They certainly need water, but not as much as you might think. Gerbils are very sparing with their water and have very dry faeces that keep the tank clean for a long time.

Gerbils are easy to keep and fun to watch, but definitely unsuitable as a stuffed animal. The best known and most commonly kept species is the Mongolian gerbil.