Many people don't even know what a Gerbil is... Some people might think it looks like a rat, but there's a big difference between Gerbils and rats. Gerbils are hardier, which means they don't get sick as often as rats do. They also don't carry as many diseases.

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The most common type of gerbil is the Mongolian Gerbil. This is the type of gerbil most commonly kept as a pet. There are many different kinds of gerbils available for pet keeping, but not all are available in your area.

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The Mongolian Gerbil is found in Mongolia and some parts of India and China. There they eat whatever vegetation they can find and dig extensive burrows and live with many family members. They're related to Jirds, and Sand rats/kangaroo rats (which are totally different from domestic rats).