Flower's Gerbil

Open encyclopedia reference

Flower's gerbil (Gerbillus floweri) is a large gerbil distributed mainly in Egypt, from the eastern fringes of the Nile Delta to the Sinai Peninsula, south of El Arish. Less than 250 individuals of this species are thought to persist in the wild, but it is not considered to be at threat, since it is common within its area of habitat (18.22 km2) and nothing poses a direct threat to it. This species is found in rocky desert, sandy coastal plains, grass valleys, palm tree groves and cultivated areas. The fur on the upper parts of the gerbil's body varies in color from pale cinnamon to tawny with an inconspicuous dorsal stripe. It has long ears which are unpigmented. The hind feet have hairy soles. It is usually between 111–213 mm in body length with the tail, usually longer than the body (140–158 mm). It weighs approximately 49–63 gm. The Flower's gerbil is nocturnal and lives in burrows. It feeds on insects and plants. The breeding season of Flower's gerbil is known to be from May to December.

Wikipedia contributors, Flower's gerbil; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T04:27:56.541265+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.

Identity & source status

Scientific name

Gerbillus (Gerbillus) floweri Thomas, 1919

Name authority

Thomas, 1919

Common name

Flower's Gerbil

Rank

species

Accepted status

accepted

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

Family

Muridae

Genus

Gerbillus

Extinction status

Recorded extant

Classification family tree

Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.

1. domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
2. kingdomAnimalia
3. phylumChordata
4. subphylumVertebrata
5. infraphylumGnathostomata
6. parvphylumOsteichthyes
7. megaclassTetrapoda
8. classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
9. subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
10. infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
11. orderRodentia Bowdich, 1821
12. suborderMyomorpha Brandt, 1855
13. superfamilyMuroidea Illiger, 1811
14. familyMuridae Illiger, 1811
15. subfamilyGerbillinae Gray, 1825
16. genusGerbillus Desmarest, 1804
17. subgenusGerbillus Desmarest, 1804
18. speciesGerbillus (Gerbillus) floweri Thomas, 1919

Close classified relatives

These entries share the source’s genus, Gerbillus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.

Browse 672 records assigned to Muridae.

Documented distribution

Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.

Source literature & publication evidence

References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.

1. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=632935 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references

Origins, evidence & remaining research

Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.

Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.

Dataset citation & attribution

This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11

Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.

Stable key: col:3FW98. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.