The family of gerbbucks, the Adillidae, consists of small to large sized, bipedal rodents. Descended from modern gerbils, most of these species are designed to travel along in the desert climates. Though some have adapted to plains, forests and even rain forests. All species are bipedal and walk and run like modern ostriches. The feet are like those of an ostrich or emu, even equipped with slashing claws they use for defense. The ears are large in most species, and pointed at the tip. The largest ears in the family belong in the genus Adillus. The eyes are large, the fur is thick and woolly and covers all but the hands and feet. The tail is relatively short in most species and usually held out. The tail may also have a tassel on the tip in most species. All species are mostly vegetarians, feeding mainly on grass, leaves, berries, seeds, fungi, and lichens. Sometimes the smaller species will even feed on insects, and larger species can supplement their diet by taking smaller invertebrates, lizards or bird eggs. Unlike modern gerbils, these animals are diurnal. Most species are also social and travel in medium-sized herds, usually no more than about 50-100 individuals. The smaller species may live in couples or small family groups.
The largest species in this family are among the genus Tragerbillus. Many of these species can reach a height of about 10 feet. They are one of the few gerbbuck species that lives in dense rainforests. They are also the only gerbbuck species that has only 2 toes on the feet. One very long one, tipped with a 5-inch long, razor-sharp claw, and the outside toes are very short with a shorter, more blunt claw. These animals use these huge claws on the inside toes as weapons against predators. Properly aimed, they can actually disembowel a predator, using the tail to stand back on, as they reach their feet up and kick at a predator. The hands are equipped with 4 short fingers. The ears of this species are diamond-shaped and not as large as those on Adillus. The eyes are large and almond-shaped.
Brachiomillops is the most unusual of these animals, it is the closest one to being a quadruped. They have arms as long as their legs and sometimes travel using all fours or on their legs only. If they need a quick get-away they usually sprint off on all fours, using leaping and long strides to get way ahead of whatever startles them. If they are just running, or going after each other, or walking, they usually balance up on their hind legs, looking like ostriches with long tails to help them keep their balance.
The smallest species are in the genus Adillulus, particularly the Malaysian species. They are small and rather rat-like. The tail is well furred, but thin. The ears are small, but triangular-shaped. They live in mostly cloud forests and dig their own burrows to roost in, using their hind legs to clear away the dirt. They live in small family groups of no more than about 10 individuals, and their babies. Like all smaller rodents in the Metazoic, these animals are prolific breeders.
I have not yet started working on this group, but there is a place for it once I am done. This is one of the few cases I tolerate "mutt-names" among animals of the future, when it ends in "buck" or "bok", since even now a lot of ungulates have names that end with that suffix. Since these animals still resemble large versions of modern gerbils in a lot of ways, that is how I came up with the collective name "gerbbuck" for the animals in this family.
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