Wildlifeof India
Indian Gerbil
Rats, Mice, Voles & Porcupines
Photo: (c) Ronith Urs, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY (May be cropped or resized)
Tatera indica
Basic stats
Diet
Grains, seeds, grasses, leaves, roots and insects; occasionally small mammals
Habitat
Sandy plains and grassland suitable for burrowing
Range
West and South Asia, from Syria to Bangladesh
Litter size
1–10 young, usually 5–6
Gestation period
21–30 days
Size
Head and body 17–20cm; tail about half body length
The Indian gerbil, also called the antelope rat, is one of the largest gerbils and the only species in its genus. The back and whole head are light brown, sometimes with a rusty wash, and the underparts are white. The tail is fully furred, dark blackish brown with greyish sides and a prominent black tuft at the tip. The eyes are large, and it has a distinctive bounding gait when running. Head and body length is 17–20 cm (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is found from Syria east to Bangladesh. It is nocturnal, does not travel far from its burrows, and lives in loose communities with overlapping home ranges. It eats grains, seeds, plants, roots, insects and occasionally small vertebrates, stores grain in the dry season, and eats more arthropods in the wet months. Breeding is year-round, with litters of 1–10 young after 21–30 days (Animal Diversity Web; Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Indian Gerbil eat?
- Grains, seeds, grasses, leaves, roots and insects; occasionally small mammals
- What habitat does the Indian Gerbil live in?
- Sandy plains and grassland suitable for burrowing
- Where is the Indian Gerbil found?
- West and South Asia, from Syria to Bangladesh
- What is the litter size of the Indian Gerbil?
- 1–10 young, usually 5–6
- How long is the gestation period of the Indian Gerbil?
- 21–30 days
- How big is the Indian Gerbil?
- Head and body 17–20cm; tail about half body length