Gerbil Breeds - WikiNormals

()Map WIKINORMALS (Map) SMALL RODENT SECTION

Overview

There are approximately 90 species of gerbil but most kept as pets are either a Mongolian Gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) or a derivative of a Mongolian. Therefore the examples included below are not strictly breeds but more of a selection of colours/types that are most commonly encountered. The selection has been derived from "The Gerbils" website at http://thegerbils.com/colors1.htm. Further information can also be found at the UK National Gerbil Society at http://www.gerbils.co.uk/.

Agouti Colours

• Usually have a white belly and tri-coloured hairs. Usually grey near the skin followed by a yellow band and a black ticking at the furthest end of the hair. Eyes are usually black.

• 

  Agouti

  WikiCommons

• 

  Spotted Agouti

  WikiCommons

• 

  Argente Golden

  (Argente Cream lighter)

  freewebs.com

• 

  Chinchilla

  (No Yellow Pigment)
  home.wtal.de

• 

  Cream/Ivory

  (Also known as Red Eyed Polar Fox)
  WikiCommons

• 

  Dark Eyed Honey

  (Also known as Algerian Fox)
  WikiCommons

• 

  Polar Fox

  (Also comes with Red Eyes)
  geocities.com

Self Colours

• 

  Black

  WikiCommons

• 

  Black (Spotted)

  WikiCommons

• 

  Blue

  Vera Bruckmann

• 

  Lilac/Dove/Sapphire

  (Lilac darker than Dove or Sapphire)
  freewebs.com

• 

  Nutmeg

  WikiCommons

• 

  Nutmeg (Spotted)

  home.wtal.de

• 

  Silver Nutmeg

  (Also called Blue Fox)
  WikiCommons

• 

  Schimmel

  (Also spotted and red eyed versions)
  WikiCommons

• 

  Slate

  freewebs.com

• 

  Slate (Spotted)

  Vera Bruckmann

• 

  Red Eyed White

  WikiCommons

• 

  Red Fox

  WikiCommons

Colorpoint

Characterised by lighter bodies and darkened points. Gerbil fanciers often refer to this genetic mutation as "Burmese".

• 

  Colourpoint Black

  (Also called Burmese)
  WikiCommons

• 

  Topas

  (Characterised by darker nose)
  geocities.com

• 

  Light Colourpoint Agouti

  WikiCommons

• 

  Colourpoint Nutmeg

• 

  Colourpoint Silver Nutmeg

Standard Markings

• Spotted - usually small white diamond on forehead and sometimes around neck. White markings do not go down to shoulders but stay on back.
  
• Pied - usually small white diamond on forehead, around neck and down to shoulders and back.
  
• Mottled - more white markings than Pied, extending to lower back. In heavily mottled gerbils it may often be hard to determine the base colour.
  

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Image:Spotted_slate.jpg|Spotted Markings

Vera Bruckmann Image:Spotted_agouti.JPG|Pied Markings

WikiCommons Image:Mottled.jpg|Mottled Markings

geocities.com