[3][4] Adult Meriones species range in size from 9 to 18 cm (head and body), with tails equal to or slightly longer than the rest of the animals.

As with other arid adapted rodents, stored food has the capacity to reabsorb moisture given off by the animal during respiration.

[6] Pavlinov et al.[7] considered the genus to belong to the (sub)tribe Rhombomyina, a group of mostly Asian gerbils.

Tong's hypothesized relationship is consistent, and the taxonomy of Pavlinov et al. was adopted by Musser and Carleton.

In particular, Meriones is thought by Pavlinov et al. (1990) to be sister (cladistically closest) to the genus Brachiones.