The gerbil is a small, burrowing rodent that is native to dry, sandy areas of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Many people keep gerbils as household pets. Gerbils can hop, using their long tail as a balance. They have a life span of about 4 years in the wild.
Gerbils often live together in large colonies.
Gerbils have keen hearing. Like all rodents, the gerbil's front top teeth continue to grow throughout its life. It must gnaw on hard things to keep wearing the teeth down. Gerbils eat grains, seeds, grasses, fruit, roots, flowers, and small animals like worms and insects . They often bring food back to their burrow to eat later.