Gerbillinae

Thesaurus

Noun

Gerbillinae - gerbilssubfamily Gerbillinaemammal family - a family of mammalsCricetidae, family Cricetidae - mostly small New World rodents including New World mice and lemmings and voles and hamstersgenus Gerbillus, Gerbillus - type genus of the Gerbillinae: typical gerbilsgerbil, gerbille - small Old World burrowing desert rodent with long soft pale fur and hind legs adapted for leaping

Gerbillinae

enUK

Gerbillinae

[jər′bil·ə‚nē] (vertebrate zoology) The gerbils, a subfamily of rodents in the family Muridae characterized by hindlegs that are longer than the front ones, and a long, slightly haired, usually tufted tail.

Gerbillinae

(gerbils), a subfamily of rodents of the family Cricetinae. The gerbil, which resembles a rat, reaches a length of 18 cm. It has a long, furry, tufted tail. The body is sandy-ocher or light brown above and white below. Most gerbils have cheek teeth either with roots or, less commonly, without roots. The cheek teeth grow continually.

Of the ten or 12 genera, two— Meriones and Rhombomys— inhabit the USSR. Most species live in the desert steppes and deserts of Africa and Asia (to the eastern Caucasus, northern Kazakhstan, Transbaikalia, and Mongolia). The animals live in colonies and are active year-round. A litter contains five or six young. The animals feed mainly on the aboveground parts of plants, particularly damaging plants that retard sand erosion. The gerbil Rhombomys opimus and the jird Meriones meridianus are members of the subfamily. Many species carry plague pathogens. Some zoologists distinguish the family Microtidae, in which they include Gerbillinae.

Gerbillinae

Gerbillinae

Gerbillinae

Gerbillinae

Gerbillinae

Synonyms for Gerbillinae

noun gerbils

Synonyms

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