Gerbs have short fur, manipulative arms, and long hind legs developed for leaping and running. They have metallic claws designed for digging in the rocky ground, and long tails which serve to balance their bodies.

Gerbs have more of a community and settling spirit than their wandering counterparts. This is because unlike the Slith, the Gerbs have moved beyond a hunting and gathering society to an agricultural one, which requires the establishment of permanent settlements.

Most Gerb communities are on the small side, and consist of approximately 10 families. Each family dwells in a cool, underground burrow which is often expanded and linked to the other burrows via adobe walls and domes. When a community grows too large for the available food supply, a small segment of younger Gerbs will split off, and searching the rocky plains and mesas for an oasis or stream which will form the nucleus of a new village.