Meriones unguiculatus
(Redirected from Meriones Unguiculatus)Meriones unguiculatus
Conservation status
Least Concern(IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Rodentia
Family:
Muridae
Subfamily:
Gerbillinae
Genus:
Meriones
Subgenus:
Pallasiomys
Species:
M. unguiculatus
Binomial name
Meriones unguiculatusMilne-Edwards, 1867
Meriones unguiculatus is a rodent belonging to subfamily Gerbillinae. They are the most widely known species of the Gerbil subfamily. Often called the Mongolian Gerbil or Mongolian Jird, due to its original habitat (Mongolia), it is the primary gerbil species to have been made a pet. It should be noted that a Mongolian Jird is a separate, larger species to the gerbil - although the two are often confused. Similar to the hamster, it was first brought to the United States in 1954 by Dr. Victor Schwentker for use in research.
Origin
The gerbil species Meriones unguiculatus evolved on the semi-deserts and steppes of Mongolia. There, they developed long legs for jumping and running from predators, teeth to deal with hard seeds and plant matter, and water conservation techniques that allow them to survive in the arid climate, such as storing water in layers of fat cells. Mongolian gerbils do not have many natural enemies due to the harsh climate. Most predators are birds-of-prey or snakes. Mongolian gerbils are diurnal, but return to their burrows for the coldest and hottest parts of the day.
Habitat
The species Meriones unguiculatus came originally from Mongolia. Their habitat in Mongolia is mainly semi-deserts and steppes. Soil on the steppes is sandy and is covered with grasses, herbs, and shrubs. The steppes have cool, dry winters and hot summers. The temperature can get up to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), but the average temperature for most of the year is around 20 (68 ).
In the wild these gerbils live in groups generally consisting of one parental pair and the last few litters. Only the dominant female and male produce pups. One group of gerbils generally ranges over 325 to 1550 square meters (0.08 to 0.38 acre).
A group lives in a central burrow with 10-20 exits. Some deeper burrows with only 1-3 exits in their territory may exist. These deeper burrows are used to escape from predators when they are too far from the central burrow.
History
The first known mention of gerbils came in 1866, by Father Armand David, who sent "yellow rats" to the Museum of Natural History (Mus d"Histoire Naturelle) in Paris, from northern China. They were named Meriones unguiculatus by the scientist Milne-Edwards in 1867. This Latin name means "clawed warrior" in English, partly from the Greek warrior Meriones in Homer"s Iliad.
Gerbils only became popular pets after 1954, when twenty breeding pairs of gerbils were brought to the United States from eastern Mongolia for scientific testing. Almost all pet gerbils today are descended from these forty. Gerbils were brought to the United Kingdom in 1964 from the United States.
Gerbils as Pets
Captive bred baby gerbils.
Gerbils are rather popular pets, due to their gentle-towards-humans temperament and hardy nature.
Because the Mongolian Gerbil is a very social creature, it is recommended that they be kept in pairs in captivity; one reason being that multiple gerbils tend to groom each other, or engage in other social activities. Therefore, gerbils generally lead poorer lives without a companion.
When selecting a gerbil as a pet, it is important to select a young and healthy-looking animal. Important criteria include having clear eyes, ears and nostrils, a shiny coat, and a robust body shape. Gerbils that display their inquisitive nature are a better choice than ones that prefer hanging back in a corner.
When choosing your pets, it is obviously important to know their genders. This can be difficult, because it"s often quite tricky trying to determine a gerbil"s sex.
Typically, a male-male or female-female pairing of gerbils from the same litter is the best choice. Placing a male and a female in an enclosure will lead to an inevitable population boom, one that may tax the abilities of even experienced owners.
Also, females are somewhat more competitive with each other than males, and skirmishes may occur from time to time if two females are placed together. Usually however, the two will live together contentedly, and rarely are disputes serious enough to warrant separation of the pair.
Males placed together tend to get along quite well, and the aforementioned skirmishes are rarer...(and so on) To get More information , you can visit some products about kid atvs, air operated pump, . The Furniture Plywood and Construction Film Faced Plywood products should be show more here!