List of gerbillines


is a subfamily of mammals in the rodent family Muridae, which in turn is part of the Myomorpha suborder in the order Rodentia. Members of this subfamily are called gerbillines and include gerbils, jirds, and sand rats. They are found in Africa and Asia, primarily in shrublands, grasslands, savannas, and deserts, though some species can be found in forests and coastal areas. They range in size from the pouched gerbil, at plus a tail, to the large Aden gerbil, at plus a tail. Gerbillines generally eat seeds, roots, nuts, grass, and insects, as well as grain and other vegetation. Few gerbillines have population estimates, but the western gerbil is categorized as endangered, and Dahl's jird is categorized as critically endangered, with a population of below 2,000.
The 102 extant species of Gerbillinae are divided into 14 genera, with 49—nearly half—in the Gerbillus genus. The Mongolian gerbil, as well as some other species such as the fat-tailed gerbil, are kept as pets. Several extinct prehistoric gerbilline species have been discovered, though due to ongoing research and discoveries, the exact number and categorization are not fixed.

Conventions

The author citation for the species or genus is given after the scientific name; parentheses around the author citation indicate that this was not the original taxonomic placement. Conservation status codes listed follow the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. Range maps are provided wherever possible; if a range map is not available, a description of the gerbilline's range is provided. Ranges are based on the IUCN Red List for that species unless otherwise noted.

Classification

is a subfamily of the rodent family Muridae consisting of 102 extant species in 14 genera. These genera range in size from 1 to 49 species, with the latter, Gerbillus, making up almost half of the subfamily. This does not include hybrid species or extinct prehistoric species.
Subfamily Gerbillinae
  • Genus Ammodillus : one species
  • Genus Brachiones : one species
  • Genus Desmodilliscus : one species
  • Genus Desmodillus : one species
  • Genus Gerbilliscus : sixteen species
  • Genus Gerbillus : 49 species
  • Genus Meriones : seventeen species
  • Genus Microdillus : one species
  • Genus Pachyuromys : one species
  • Genus Psammomys : two species
  • Genus Rhombomys : one species
  • Genus Sekeetamys : one species
  • Genus Tatera : one species
  • Genus Taterillus : nine species

    Gerbillines

The following classification is based on the taxonomy described by the reference work Mammal Species of the World, with augmentation by generally accepted proposals made since using molecular phylogenetic analysis, as supported by both the IUCN and the American Society of Mammalogists.