Gerbil breeds, types and colours

Are there different gerbil breeds?

Not really. PetMD says there are 87 known gerbil species, but the one kept as a pet almost everywhere is the Mongolian gerbil. Its Latin name, Meriones unguiculatus, is often translated as "little clawed warrior". The pet gerbils in rescues and shops in the UK and US are all this species.

What people call "breeds" are really colour and coat varieties, bred from the wild colour since gerbils were first kept as pets. Gerbil Care UK says the first captive colony came from 20 pairs caught in 1935, and 11 pairs were taken to the United States in 1954. Every colour you see today comes from changes in a handful of genes, which the National Gerbil Society explains on its genetics page.

Two big clubs set the colour standards: the National Gerbil Society (NGS) in Britain, founded in 1970, and the American Gerbil Society (AGS). Their lists overlap but use slightly different names, so we give both where they differ.

The wild colour: agouti

The MSD Veterinary Manual describes the wild coat as agouti, a mix of grey, yellow and black, with an off-white belly. Each hair is banded, so the coat looks flecked, or "ticked". This is the gerbil most people picture.

• Golden agouti. The NGS standard: a soft golden-red top with black ticking on the back and sides, a clear line to a white belly, black eyes with grey eye circles.
• Grey agouti. A white top with black ticking, giving a pepper-and-salt grey, with a white belly and black eyes with white eye circles.
• Nutmeg and silver nutmeg. Ticked like an agouti, but with no white belly: the ticking runs down into a dark cream or light grey belly, with a dark line along the middle.

Self gerbils: one even colour

A self gerbil is the same colour all over, with no white belly and no markings. The NGS and AGS both recognise these.

White-bellied gerbils: golds, creams and honeys

These have a coloured top and a clean white belly. Many have red or ruby eyes, which gives them a softer look.

Pointed gerbils: Himalayan, Siamese and Burmese

Pointed gerbils have darker "points" on the nose, ears, feet and tail, like a Siamese cat. The AGS groups them as colourpoints.

• Himalayan. A pure white body with coloured ears, feet and tail, and pink eyes.
• Siamese. A rich beige coat with dark sepia or chocolate points, black eyes and a pale cream belly.
• Burmese. Rich mauve shading from the spine to a dark cream belly, black eyes and points like the Siamese. Darker and moodier than a Siamese.

Gerbil patterns: spotted, pied, mottled and patched

Any of the colours above can also carry white markings. The standards set out exactly where they go.

Rex and coat types

Coat type is separate from colour. The AGS standard for rex says the coat "shall be short and dense with a distinct rippled or curled pattern", and the whiskers curl too. A rex can come in any colour. Every other pet gerbil has the normal short, smooth coat with a furry tail and a tuft at the tip, as the MSD Veterinary Manual describes.

Other gerbil species kept as pets

A few other gerbils and jirds turn up in specialist homes and at National Gerbil Society shows, which run classes for them. They are not the same animal as the Mongolian gerbil, and their care differs, so read species-specific advice before taking one on.

• Fat-tailed gerbil (duprasi). Named for its thick tail. The NGS shows duprasi as a class of their own, a sign they are a separate hobby with their own keepers.
• Shaw's jird. A jird, the wider family name gerbils share. The NGS notes Shaw's jirds are more robust than Mongolian gerbils and cope well with surgery.
• Pallid gerbil. The NGS warns pallids are more delicate than Mongolians, often go into shock from injections and respond poorly to surgery, so you need a very experienced vet.

Does colour affect personality or health?

Very little, as far as the welfare sources go. Temperament comes from good breeding, early handling and the clan a gerbil grew up in, not its coat. The RSPCA does note two small colour effects: black gerbils scent-mark more than agouti gerbils, possibly because of hormone and brain differences, and females may prefer males of their own colour.

The bigger health factor is where a gerbil came from. Woodgreen says overgrown front teeth are more common in poorly bred gerbils, and the NGS asks breeders not to breed from gerbils that have fits or cataracts. A healthy, well-handled gerbil of any colour beats a rare colour from a careless source every time. Our guide on where to get a gerbil lists what to ask.

How to choose a gerbil colour

1. Start with personality, not colour. Watch the gerbils for a few minutes. Pick a calm, curious pair that comes forward to sniff, from a clean, spacious tank.
2. Pick a pair, not a single. The RSPCA says gerbils should never live alone, so choose two same-sex littermates. They can be different colours.
3. Think about telling them apart. Two golden agoutis look almost identical. A golden agouti with a black, or a Siamese with a pied, makes it easy to know who is who.
4. Ask about the parents. A breeder should tell you the colour, temperament and health of both parents and keep records, as the AGS code of ethics expects.
5. Then pick a name. Colour makes it easy: see our gerbil names for ideas by colour and for pairs.

Every colour needs the same home and the same care, all set out in our gerbil care guide. For more about the species itself, our page of gerbil facts covers the wild burrows and the clan life behind every colour, and gerbils as pets helps you decide if they suit your home.