page_title: Mongolian gerbil
section_title: Coat colours
hierarchical_section_title: Mongolian gerbil / As pets / Coat colours
caption_attribution_description: English: Dove gerbils have light grey fur and red eyes.
context_page_description: The Mongolian gerbil or Mongolian jird is a small rodent belonging to the subfamily Gerbillinae. Body size is typically 110–135mm, with a 95–120mm tail, and body weight 60–130g, with adult males larger than females. The animal is used in science and kept as a small house pet. Their use in science dates back to the latter half of the 19th century, but they only started to be kept as pets after 1954, when they were brought to the United States. However, their use in scientific research has fallen out of favor.
context_section_description: Currently recognized colour morphs and their genetic basis are described below.
  Golden Agouti – All Mongolian Gerbils in the wild are Golden Agouti, also called Agouti. The hair shafts on the back are grey at the base, gold in the middle and tipped with black, making an even mix of golden brown with black ticking. The belly is creamy white. An Agouti gerbil has black eyes.
  Black – A Black gerbil is black both on its back and on its belly. It most often has a "bib" or white line running down its chin. It also may have some white on its paws. A Black gerbil has black eyes. It carries double recessive genes abbreviated "a" for Agouti.
  Argente / Argente Golden – An Argente gerbil is orange with a creamy white belly. It has deep ruby eyes. If one were to brush back the fur on its back, one would see that the roots are grey. Argente gerbils carry double recessive genes for "Pink Eyed" which is abbreviated, "p" although the eye colour is ruby rather than pink.
  Argente Cream – An Argente Cream gerbil is an Argente lightened by a Himalayan gene, c(h). It is light orange with a creamy white belly and ruby eyes. The undercoat is grey like the Argente Golden, but diluted due to the c(h).
  Topaz – A Topaz gerbil is an Argente lightened by a gene called Chinchilla Medium, c(chm), formerly called Burmese, c(b). This colour is lighter than an Argente Golden but darker than an Argente Cream, and it often has slightly darker points at the ears, nose and tail. It has a creamy white belly and ruby eyes. The undercoat is grey, but diluted due to the c(chm). Also called "Argente Fawn."
  Lilac – A Lilac gerbil is medium grey all over. It has ruby eyes and carries double recessives for both the "a" and "p" alleles.
  Dove – A Dove gerbil is a Lilac lightened by the Himalayan gene, c(h). It is light grey all over. It has ruby eyes.
  Sapphire – A Sapphire gerbil is a Lilac lightened by a gene called Chinchilla Medium, c(chm). This colour is lighter than a Lilac but darker than a Dove. It has ruby eyes.
  Pink-eyed White – A Pink-eyed White gerbil is completely white with pink eyes.
  Himalayan/Dark Tailed White – A Himalayan or Dark Tailed White gerbil is white with ruby eyes. After several months its tail will darken from white to a shade of light or dark grey depending on a variety of factors such as the temperature of the environment and the other recessive alleles it may carry. A gerbil that is Dark Tailed White, abbreviated "DTW," carries double recessives of the Himalayan gene, "c(h)."
  Burmese – A Burmese gerbil is an all over chocolate colour. Around eight weeks or so, it will begin to develop darker points on the tail, nose, feet and tips of the ear. It often has a "bib" or white line running down the chin. It also may have some white on its paws. All Burmese gerbils have black eyes with a pupil which reflects red in bright light. It is also known as a "Colourpoint Black" and carries double recessives for "a" as well as "c(chm)" alleles.
  Siamese – A Siamese gerbil starts out a light mushroom colour. Around eight weeks, it moults and the tail, nose, feet and tips of the ear go black. The main body colour stays the same. A Siamese has black eyes with a pupil which reflects red in bright light.  It also often has a "bib" or white line running down the chin. It may also have some white on the paws.Younger Siamese gerbils can have lighter bands on their feet, but will fade on the back but may stay on the front. Their colour is also described as "Mushroom Colourpoint" or "Light Colourpoint Black" and they carry double recessives of the "a" allele, as well as one c(chm) and one c(h) allele.
  Colourpoint Agouti – A Colourpoint Agouti gerbil has an off-white to grey base with a liberal amount of silvery-brownish ticking along the back. The tail is a ticked light gold and claws are black. The belly is white and the eyes are black with a pupil which reflects red in bright light. Also called simply "Colourpoint," sometimes abbreviated, "CPT." It carries double recessives of the "c(chm)" allele.
  Light Colourpoint Agouti – A Light Colourpoint Agouti has an off-w
caption: Dove
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