Some species, like Anderson's Gerbil of northeast Sinai and Mackilligin's Gerbil of the southern Eastern Desert, are very local. Others, such as the Lesser Egyptian Gerbil and the Greater Egyptian Gerbil, are among the most widespread and successful of Egypt's mammals. My guess is that relatively few have caught more than a glimpse of a tiny ball of fur scuttling out of the car headlights. Although some species are widespread and common, all the gerbils are nocturnal ,spending the day in their burrow. Their tracks are often all over the place though, revealing two hind feet spread farther apart than the smaller forefeet, like a chopped-off triangle in outline, often with some tail drag.
All gerbils share the same basic body plan.
All are small rodents generally brown to sandy above and white below. The hindlimbs are larger and more powerful than the forelimbs. The tail is slender, often with a small terminal tuft, and in all but one species, Simon's Gerbil, it is considerably longer than the head and body. The eyes are large as would be expected from a nocturnal mammal, and there are often distinct white patches above or behind the eyes and behind the ears which are important for identification. While it is fairly straightforward to separate the gerbils from other rodents, it is far harder to distinguish the gerbils from each other.