gerbil

Everyday

A small furry rodent with a long tail and strong back legs, from the deserts of Africa and Asia, often kept as a pet. tree →

In the lessons

In children's life it is a common classroom or home pet, like a hamster. In science it shows desert adaptations: gerbils need little water and dig burrows. Stories use it as a small cute pet that must be fed and cleaned out. Phrases: gerbil cage, pet gerbil.

Examples

• Our class gerbil is called Nibbles. tree →
• Gerbils love to dig tunnels in deep bedding. tree →
• My gerbil drinks very little water because it comes from the desert. tree →
• Gerbils are happier living in pairs than alone. tree →
• Please close the cage so the gerbil doesn't escape. tree →
• The gerbil stood up on its back legs to sniff the air. tree →

Note

Countable: one gerbil, two gerbils. Not the same as a hamster: gerbils have long furry tails and are more active by day. In some places, such as California, keeping gerbils is not allowed.