Gerbillinae is one of the subfamilies of the rodent family Muridae and includes the gerbils, jirds, and sand rats. Once known as desert rats, the subfamily includes about 110 species of African, Indian, and Asian rodents, including sand rats and jirds, all of which are adapted to arid habitats. Most are primarily active during the day, making them diurnal (but some species, including the common household pet, exhibit crepuscular behavior), and almost all are omnivorous. The gerbil got its name as a diminutive form of "jerboa," an unrelated group of rodents occupying a similar ecological niche. Gerbils are typically between long, including the tail, which makes up about half of their total length. One species, the great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus), originally native to Turkmenistan, can grow to more than . The average adult gerbil weighs about . One species, the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus), also known as the clawed jird, is a gentle and hardy animal that has become a popular small house pet. It is also used in some scientific research. Classification SUBFAMILY GERBILLINAE Tribe Ammodillini Genus Ammodillus Ammodile, Ammodillus imbellis Tribe Desmodilliscini Genus Desmodilliscus Pouched gerbil, Desmodilliscus braueri Genus Pachyuromys Fat-tailed gerbil, Pachyuromys duprasi Tribe Gerbillini Subtribe Gerbillina Genus Dipodillus Botta's gerbil, Dipodillus bottai North African gerbil, Dipodillus campestris Wagner's gerbil, Dipodillus dasyurus Harwood's gerbil, Dipodillus harwoodi James's gerbil, Dipodillus jamesi Lowe's gerbil, Dipodillus lowei Mackilligin's gerbil, Dipodillus mackilligini Greater short-tailed gerbil, Dipodillus maghrebi Rupicolous gerbil, Dipodillus rupicola Lesser short-tailed gerbil, Dipodillus simoni Somalian gerbil, Dipodillus somalicus Khartoum gerbil, Dipodillus stigmonyx Kerkennah Islands gerbil, Dipodillus zakariai Genus Gerbillus Subgenus Hendecapleura Pleasant gerbil, Gerbillus amoenus Brockman's gerbil, Gerbillus brockmani Black-tufted gerbil, Gerbillus famulus Algerian gerbil, Gerbillus garamantis Grobben's gerbil, Gerbillus grobbeni Pygmy gerbil, Gerbillus henleyi Mauritanian gerbil, Gerbillus mauritaniae (sometimes considered a separate genus Monodia) Harrison's gerbil, Gerbillus mesopotamiae Darfur gerbil, Gerbillus muriculus Balochistan gerbil, Gerbillus nanus Large Aden gerbil, Gerbillus poecilops Principal gerbil, Gerbillus principulus Least gerbil, Gerbillus pusillus Sand gerbil, Gerbillus syrticus Waters's gerbil, Gerbillus watersi Subgenus Gerbillus Berbera gerbil, Gerbillus acticola Agag gerbil, Gerbillus agag Anderson's gerbil, Gerbillus andersoni Swarthy gerbil, Gerbillus aquilus Burton's gerbil, Gerbillus burtoni Cheesman's gerbil, Gerbillus cheesmani Dongola gerbil, Gerbillus dongolanus Somalia gerbil, Gerbillus dunni Flower's gerbil, Gerbillus floweri Lesser Egyptian gerbil, Gerbillus gerbillus Indian hairy-footed gerbil, Gerbillus gleadowi Western gerbil, Gergbillus hesperinus Hoogstraal's gerbil, Gerbillus hoogstraali Lataste's gerbil, Gerbillus latastei Sudan gerbil, Gerbillus nancillus Nigerian gerbil, Gerbillus nigeriae Occidental gerbil, Gerbillus