Anderson's Gerbil

Anderson's gerbil usually occupies sandy dunes of deserts and is primarily found in sandy, often solidified, dunes along the coastal regions of its distribution range. This animal can also be found inland and tends to live in sandy areas of valleys or very dry areas, along with mountainsides. Anderson's gerbil inhabits coastal plains of North Africa and the Middle East, from Tunisia and northern Libya to Egypt, Israel, and southwestern Jordan.

Like all other species in the genus Gerbillus, Anderson's gerbil is a burrowing rodent. The evidence for this mammal tends to suggest that it has a nomadic lifestyle considering that the warrens that it builds are not as complex as other genera of gerbils. However, the species sometimes live in groups when they are in a favorable habitat. They occupy a small home range of typically from 32 to 34 m2 (340 to 370 sq ft), and are nocturnal. They are seed-eating gerbils and feed on the seeds of the common evergreen Thymelaea hirsuta. The breeding season occurs during late winter and early spring, coinciding with the seed shedding of this plant. Both genders of the species are active for reproductive purposes only once per year. The gestation period is from 20 to 22 days, and litters consist of three to seven offspring. They are sexually mature in their first year after birth.