The taxonomy, distribution, and ecology of six species of gerbilline rodents occurring in the central Namib Desert, four in the genus Gerbillurus, are reviewed. The high species richness is unique in southern Africa; moreover, four species have terminal range limits within the area. Higher and more predictable rainfall areas support higher gerbil densities. Population densities and, for at least two species, distributions vary with changing environmental conditions. Over a 13-year period, central Namib Desert gerbils were found to feed and breed opportunistically.