I would like to extend a big thank you to Dr. Fred Petrij for sending the eGerbil website the photocopies of the original description of Meriones unguiculatus, better known as the Mongolian gerbil.  The scientific publication was the result of the first 'yellow rat' specimens that Abbé Armand David had sent back to the museum d'Histoire Naturelle to be identified, and was eventually published in 1867.  At the time it was classified as Gerbillus unguiculatus, and it wasn't until 1908 when Oldfield Thomas (The duke of Bedford's Zoological exploration in Eastern Asia IX. List of mammals from the Mongolian plateau) finally referred to it with its modern name, Meriones unguiculatus.

Heterochromia Iridum in the Mongolian gerbil

This strange occurence of odd-eyed animals which although rare, can be found documented in many domestic species including dogs, cats, horses, cattle and rodents.  It can also be observed in humans too.

Recently with the appearance of a new spotting gene known as Semidominant lethal spotting, odd-eyed gerbils have begun to appear in breeding lines when this new gene is combined with the well known Dominant spotting gene.  The gerbils in question didn't appear to have any related problems with this eye condition and appeared quite healthy, however these breeding lines that are the  result of combining the two spotting genes are more predisposed to neurological problems....

Read about the new spotting gene that first appeared in the Czech Republic and nearby countries around 2000, and despite its known health problems it has since migrated to virtually everywhere in Europe and is now appearing in pet shops around the U.K.   The articles deals with this spotting gene in depth and includes breeding studies,health data and the subsequent identification of the gene.

In 2008, a thread started on the eGerbil forum telling members that Pets@Home petshop chains were then selling what looked like Extreme White and White paws gerbils at a few of their outlets.  To explain further, White paws gerbils are carrying a single dominant lethal spotting gene, so in effect this type of lethal spotting is said to be in its heterozygous state, if it were homozygous...

The species section of eGerbil is currently being updated and several new articles and galleries have been added to this section.  These include Great gerbils, Indian Desert Jirds, Libyan Jirds, Tristram's Jirds, Bushy Tail jirds & Duprasi.  To read the new articles and view the photo galleries on these species, just sign up to the website and you can be a part of the growing eGerbil community!

The new articles on these species can be found here;