Advances in research on the biology of the desert rodent Gerbillus tarabuli: a review

Abstract

Selection of the appropriate species and strain of laboratory animals are among the scientist’s major concerns. Tarabul’s gerbil ( Gerbillus tarabuli) is a small, seasonally breeding, desert rodent native to Africa. Despite its unique biological features, which make it an ideal model candidate for biomedical research, only a few reports have used it in research. Hence, the present review aims to provide more data about this species, covering all aspects of its biology, such as taxonomy, morphology, anatomy, ecology, wildlife biology, molecular biology, physiology, neurobiology, genetics, reproduction, development, evolutionary biology, and conservation biology, and covers current progress in exploration of G. tarabuli, discussing its valuable characteristics, which are widely useful for research in various fields. This review paper is destined for biologists, scientists, mammologists, zoologists, academics, and students.

The analysis of the histomorphometric characteristics and ultrastructural features of the liver in response to environmental cycle desynchronization in the wild desert rodent (Gerbillus tarabuli)

“…All these arguments make Tarabul's gerbil (Gerbillus tarabuli), a nocturnal wild desert rodent, an interesting model for studying ALAN effects on humans. Moreover, this species holds significant value in biological research (Hamidatou Khati et al 2022).…”