Gerbillinae is one of the subfamilies of the rodent family Muridae and includes the gerbils, jirds, and sand rats. Once known as desert rats, the subfamily includes about 110 species of African, Indian, and Asian rodents, including sand rats and jirds, all of which are adapted to arid habitats. Most are primarily active during the day, making them diurnal, and almost all are omnivorous.
Waters's gerbil is distributed mainly in Sudan, Somalia, and Djibouti.
The least gerbil is distributed mainly in South Sudan, southwestern Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania.
The Agag gerbil is distributed mainly in southern Mauritania to northern Nigeria and Sudan. IUCN lists the junior synonyms Gerbillus cosensi and G. dalloni as critically endangered.
The African smoky mouse or smokey heimyscus is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is the only species in the genus Heimyscus.
The Guinea multimammate mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, dry savanna, moist savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, arable land, rural gardens, urban areas, and irrigated land. They weigh between 12 and 105 grams.
The Cape gerbil is a species of rodent found only in South Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and temperate desert.
Boehm's gerbil is a species of rodent found in Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, moist savanna, and arable land. This is a common species with a wide distribution which faces no obvious threats, so in 2004 the International Union for Conservation of Nature rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
The Guinean gerbil is a species of rodent found in Burkina Faso, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and possibly Liberia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, dry savanna, rocky areas and arable land, but it is mostly found in areas laterite or clay soils, and with variable amounts of vegetation and dense scrub. This species is described as common and has a stable population and a wide distribution, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
The Gorongoza gerbil is a species of rodent found in Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitat is moist savanna.
The Indian gerbil also known as antelope rat, is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.
The bushveld gerbil is a species of rodent found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, and hot deserts. Older sources classify it in the genus Tatera.
The black-tailed gerbil is a species of rodent found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and arable land.
Phillips's gerbil is a species of rodent found in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.
The fringe-tailed gerbil is a species of rodent found in Central African Republic, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, possibly Cameroon, and possibly Nigeria. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, moist savanna, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, arable land and urban areas.
The savanna gerbil is a species of rodent found in Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, moist savanna, and arable land.
The Congo gerbil or Congo tateril is a species of rodent found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and possibly Uganda. Its natural habitat is dry savanna.
Gerbilliscus is a genus of rodent in the subfamily Gerbillinae (gerbils) of the family Muridae. It contains the following species, all native to Africa:
