Indian Gerbil

Indian gerbil (Tatera indica), common throughout India, is much like a rat in appearance with naked and pigmented hind-feet soles. It is a nocturnal, very shy, nervous and jumpy animal. These social animal jumps very high. Very distinctive is its light brown agouti with a white belly. The length (head-body) is about 15 cm and tail is 20 cm. The tail is almost bare and is very big and pigmented.

Indian gerbil feeds on roots, bulbs, seeds, green plant materials, insects, eggs and young birds. It makes its own burrow systems plugged with loose soil. Each burrow has many openings.

The animal can be seen in Gir National Park, Gujarat.