All gerbils have long hind feet and fairly large ears and eyes, but there is variation among other characteristics. The Tien Shan mountain range and the Takla Makan Desert. When kept as pets, gerbils are often held many feet above the ground. You may wish to provide a small wood, cardboard, or ceramic box in which the gerbil can build its nest. Gerbils are native to India, Asia and Africa. The steppe is similar to a desert: it has little water, almost no trees, and little life. Gerbils may also benefit from regular sand or dust baths as described for chinchillas (see Providing a Home for a Chinchilla : Dust Baths); rolling in the sand is a way for these desert … Gerbils have adapted to this environment well. Gerbils are active and appreciate a running or exercise wheel. less than 10 inches (25 cm) of rainfall create some of the harshest living condition in the biosphere called hot desert. The Mongolian gerbil is stocky and well adapted to life in the extreme climate of the Central Asian steppe and semi-desert that it’s wild cousins call their home. They are adapted to the life in arid and desert areas. Adaptation to desert life; nocturnal to avoid the heat of the day, large eyes for nocturnal activity, large hind feet for hopping long distances, hair soles on feet to insulate feet from hot sand, and burrowing. 10 Amazing Facts About Camels. However, in the wild, this is not a natural position, which means that gerbils are not adapted to handle long falls. ... Desert Gerbils have hairy soles on their feet which allow them excellent traction on sand. Wild gerbils live in colonies in underground burrows. Although gerbils are adapted to the desert, they require water to be supplied at all times to be safe and healthy. The sand cat is the only true desert living cat. The tail is furred to provide additional protection against the cold and they even have fur between their toes. ... Camel feces are consumed by insects and gerbils (desert rats) (which recover this way a part of the water). Survival Adaptations: Unlike most mammals, Desert Bighorn Sheep's body temperature can safely fluctuate a few degrees without harmful consequences. For example in the Karakum Desert (Central Asia), … They split open the cactus with their curved horns and eat the watery insides. There are over 100 species of gerbils that differ in size, color and type of habitat. These burrows have many exits, but can go deep underground where the cold and snow can’t reach. In order to minimise the levels of fluid that they lose, over time gerbils have evolved to only urinate relatively infrequently compared to some other, non-desert dwelling rodents. Gerbils are excellent burrowers - they do it so much that even captive gerbils need to burrow in order to fill this deep evolutionary need. Body form varies from stout and compact to slender and gracile. Bighorn Sheep can last for weeks on end without a direct water source, but instead get water from the barrel cactus. This coloration gives them camouflage in their arid environment, making them less likely to be detected by predators. They live in burrows to hide from the cold and open landscape. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Gerbils are monogamous. They dig large, extensive burrow systems under the ground to hide from the heat and cold. Mammals as a group are not well adapted to desert life because they excrete urea, which involves the loss of much water. Gerbil is a mammal that belongs to the group of burrowing rodents. They live in a desolate, dry grassland called the steppe. How Is A Gerbil Adapted To The Desert? Their coloration in the wild is usually light brown, which blends in well with the desert surroundings and makes them less visible to birds of prey. Physical features. Gerbils also inhabit woodland savannas and mountain slopes. The black-footed also lives in dry environments. In these areas the temperatures reach extremes. There are a few color variations in domesticated gerbils, but in the wild all gerbils and jirds are pale shades of brown. The Takla Makan is flanked by high mountain ranges: the Tien Shan to the north, the Kunlun Mountains to the south, and the Pamirs to the west. Gerbils have much less odor than other rodents, such as rats and mice. A cactus is adapted to living in the desert because it has no leaves and a small surface area so it reduces the water loss and a thick stem to store water in a drought. Gerbils have had to adapt to these temperature variations. Gerbils are relatively small and easily injured if dropped.