The length of their body is, without the tail, about 12 cm and the tail has a length between the 8 and 11 cm. The Mongolian gerbil's body is slender and they have a short neck. The body and the tail are both hairy. The hind legs are longer than its front legs. Their head is short and broad, their bridge is bowed and the snout may not be pointed.
Mongolian gerbils have relative big and round eyes.
The small ears are oval and covered with fur. For a summary with pictures you can visit The Gerbil Colour Palette. A good housing is a large glass tank with a solid wire lid. Mongolian gerbils enjoy digging very much. If you want that they can dig, you'll have to use sand as bedding in at least a part of the tank.