To what size a gerbil grows. How do I care for my little gerbil? Gerbil mouse species
When choosing a pet, people often stop near cages with gerbils... These rodents have a wonderful temperament. They are clean, easy to tame, trainable and look very cute.
Their curiosity and friendliness will delight you every day. Just by looking at gerbil photo, all doubts about the decision to have her as a pet disappear.
Today, there are more than 100 species of these rodents. It is worth noting that only one of them was tamed. it Mongolian gerbil.
In their natural environment, these mice live in families. Therefore, if you decide to have this baby at home, you need to take a couple of individuals. Being alone can negatively affect her health.
The size gerbil mouse it happens from 5 to 20 cm. It weighs from 15 to 200 grams. The main distinguishing feature is the tail. It is covered with fluff along its entire length, and the tip is decorated with a tassel. The color of the coat is sand.
Pictured is a large gerbil
But thanks to selective breeding gerbil today it has many different colors. In its natural environment, the coat of this mouse is usually brown-sandy in color, which helps it blend in with the surrounding background.
The standard number of teeth in a gerbil is 16. Although the dental system is different for different species of these rodents. So some teeth have roots, while others have no roots.
Nature has taken care of protecting these little creatures. Of course, they will not be able to stand up for themselves in front of stronger animals, but they are able to foresee their meeting.
Sharp eyesight, keen hearing, quick reaction and speed will help them in this. Thanks to the elongated hind legs, these "pussies" are able to move very quickly.
This animal lives in deserts and semi-desert areas. It can be found in Central Asia, Iran, Mongolia and parts. The range of life of the gerbil also covers some islands of the Mediterranean up to the very Transbaikalia.
The gerbil gives its preference to territories with clay, crushed stone and sandy soil structure, which is not devoid of vegetation. The largest population of these rodents is in Turkmenistan, about a thousand of their minks can be found on one hectare.
Character and lifestyle
The houses of these rodents are built in the form of minks, or rather a system consisting of many moves. The depth of one mink can reach 3 m. Gerbils live in colonies, therefore, several generations in a row can be engaged in the construction of a mink-house. The result of such a construction can be a labyrinth of passages with a length of 300 m.
Now let's talk about dwelling for domestic gerbil... Such pets are not whimsical in care and living conditions. It is better for the animal to choose a spacious house with a flooring of hay and straw. The thickness of this layer should be 15-20 cm so that the mouse has the opportunity to dig.
In the photo there is a Mongolian gerbil
Rodents are very thrifty. Even with keeping gerbils in captivity, they still have a tendency to haul hay, grass and food into piles. Therefore, if the cage is lattice, choose it with a high pallet, otherwise the entire flooring will be scattered around the house. It is undesirable to choose a dwelling for the animal in several floors; if it falls, it can get injured.
These pets lead an active lifestyle. In order to please them, as well as find the use of their energy, it is worth putting a running wheel. Choose a wheel that does not have crossbars, as your gerbil's tail can get caught between them while you run.
Such wheels are considered traumatic for. It is better to stop your choice on plastic or metal wheels with a mesh instead of crossbars. Another purchase that will delight your pet can be a walking ball.
In him gerbil at home will be able to move around obstacles. During such absenteeism, the whole body of the "little bully" is in tension, so the time of outings should not exceed 20 minutes. It is desirable that driftwood, wooden ladders or tunnels are present in the cage. They will make your stay in the cage more interesting and fulfilling.
Gerbils don't like to hide in corners. They are always in sight and easily make contact with a person: they come to the call and take food from their hands without fear.
When catching or transplanting these babies, you need to take them by the tail, slightly raising the sleeve of the other hand. It is very important during these actions not to grab the middle or tip of the tail. gerbil mouse.
Nutrition
The gerbil's diet includes bread, legumes, hay, and green grass. Of the tree species, they like willow, poplar and linden. If we talk about grain feed, then a favorite delicacy is cereal seeds germinated or soaked in water. They will also not give up on beets, carrots, berries and sunflowers.
The gerbil menu at home can be varied with cottage cheese, boiled eggs, flour, locusts. Youngsters are ready to try a wide variety of foods, even sausages. Do not forget about mineral dressings. At home, it can be chalk, eggshell, or glycerophosphate.
Extreme living conditions have taught gerbils to be content with little. They don't need water. For the life of this mouse, there is enough moisture obtained from plants and fruits. In their normal habitat, gerbils feed on vegetation that is within their reach. Like all rodents, they store food for the winter.
Camel thorns and twigs of various desert plants are gathered in their "pantries". If food is scarce, gerbils will emigrate to other areas. In search of food, they settle in new places or adapt other people's holes for their own living.
Reproduction and life expectancy of the gerbil
The breeding period of gerbils is quite long. It starts in early spring and ends in late autumn. One female brings about 5 litters per season. Each of them consists of 4-5 babies. Pregnancy lasts 23 days.
In the photo, gerbil cubs
The eyes and ears open 2 weeks after birth. After 12 days, they will be able to feed on their own. Gerbils become sexually mature after 2 months. The whole colony looks after the offspring together, even the males.
The behavior of Mongolian gerbils during the breeding season is quite interesting. They create colonies that consist of 1 male, 1-3 females and their immature offspring. These flocks guard their territory.
Demonstration fights are sometimes held between representatives of this species. It is for this reason that you should not keep more than 2 representatives of different genders in one cage.
In nature, gerbils do not live long, only 3-4 months ... At home gerbil can live 3-4 years. Your pet's lifespan depends on caring for it.
A gerbil is a small animal that looks like a mouse. It has a thick, short hair, a long tail, an elongated muzzle, small pubescent ears. Body color is different (depending on the breed). The weight of the rodents should not exceed one hundred and twenty grams. For the first time, Mongolian gerbils appeared in Africa and Asia. Later they spread to all continents. Now animals are found in every country. In the wild, animals live up to four years, in captivity, the life expectancy increases several times. This is because it is difficult for small animals to survive among predators, another danger. Loneliness can often be detrimental. Gerbils can live a long life in captivity with good care. It is important to remember a few basic points, which we will now talk about.
The first and most important rule is not to buy one animal! As described above, rodents tolerate loneliness terribly. Buy a couple.
The second rule is that the cage should be spacious and have many different roundabouts. The fact is that gerbils are active animals, they require constant movement, they cannot sit still. If you follow this recommendation, your pet will feel much better. It is advisable to release the mouse to run around the house. So they can run around enough, play enough. But don't forget about their safety. The animal is curious, so it can run into a hard-to-reach place (under the sofa, behind the closet), not get out of there. In unfamiliar places, far from the wild, gerbils are poorly oriented. At first, be especially careful. If you have other pets (cat, dog) in your home, do not leave your gerbil alone while it walks. They may not like the appearance of a new little friend. There are no problems with birds and other rodents.
The third rule is nutrition. It should be varied. You can feed the animals daily with regular rodent food. Set aside the days of the week when you will give them vegetables (carrots, cabbage), fruits, herbs. Don't overuse it. Feed the animals with green food once every two weeks. In the wild, they do not need water, because they saturate the body with moisture, which is taken from fruits and greens. In captivity, this is not possible, so place a drinker next to it. Change the water daily.
If gerbils show interest in each other, then expect an early offspring. Females carry their cubs for a month. It is interesting that during this process, males devote all their time to the expectant mother. They clean them, feed them, protect them from dangers. Gerbils are monogamous, so in the absence of a second half, the animals suffer. At the end of the term, the female gives birth to two or three babies. The couple takes special care at this time. The animals do not leave the babies a single step. When they grow up, the upbringing of the future generation is exclusively done by dad. He teaches children everything that he can do himself.
Gerbils love to dig. Advises covering the bottom with a thick ball of wood shavings. Also sketch some sticks of fruit trees into the cage. Rodents will grind their teeth.
Probably all children in the world dream of having a pet. But after the appearance of one child asks for a second animal, and so on ad infinitum. Only the intransigence of the parents limits the number of animals in the house. After all, the main concerns will fall on their shoulders. This is why adults often prefer cute gerbils.
These unpretentious rodents are practically odorless and feel great at home. So that the pet does not get bored, it is better to take a couple of mice at once. If breeding is not planned - certainly, of the same sex. What kind of animal is this - a gerbil? Maintenance and care, games and feeding - is it a joy or a hated routine?
The history of the domestication of the gerbil
Gerbils have lived hand in hand with humans for almost 50 years.
The first attempts to tame gerbils took place in the 30s of the last century. It quickly became clear that these rodents adapt well in captivity. Their color at that time was the same - the sand color made it possible to hide from enemies.
Almost 30 years later, the second wave of mouse domestication began. Unpretentiousness, lack of odors and interesting character attracted lovers of domestic rodents. In 1969, the first international exhibition of gerbils was held, where mammals of an exclusively natural color were presented. Immediately after the demonstration, experts began to study the genes responsible for the color of the coat. Experimentally, it turned out to bring out gray, bright red, white, black and even spotted individuals.
This variety of colors has made gerbils very popular. They began to write about them in specialized magazines, as about a new type of pets. After a short period of time, already in May 1969, the "National Club of Gerbil Lovers" was organized. This date is considered the beginning of the life of such wonderful and unpretentious animals next to people.
Breeds and their descriptions
The gerbils got their name from the original color.
Natural habitat of gerbils - deserts and steppes... That is why their original colors were sand or brown - so they merged with nature and hid from predators.
Their body size ranges from 6 to 22 cm, depending on the species. The tail has a length of 7 to 20 cm, and a weight of 10 to 200 g. A distinctive feature from other mice is the tail, completely covered with fur with a small tassel at the end. Today, about 100 breeds of amazing animals have been identified. Only a few of them have been domesticated.
The Baluchistani gerbil is the smallest representative. Its length is about 6 cm, and its weight rarely exceeds 25 g. The color of the coat is gray-yellow, the belly is white. In nature, it can be found in the southern parts of Asia.
The dwarf short-tailed has a similar color, slightly longer than its predecessor and lives in North Africa.
Chizman's gerbil, up to 11 cm in size, with a tail exceeding the length of the body, has an orange back. A distinctive feature is the large eyes, which stand out brightly on the small head.
The Persian mouse is much larger than its congeners: weight - up to 170 g, body length - up to 19 cm. The brown back and tassel at the tip of the tail make it especially attractive. Lives in Central Asia, feels good in the mountains at an altitude of over 3,000 meters above sea level.
The largest individual is called the Great Gerbil. Its length can exceed 20 cm. The coat has a yellow-sand color, the tail ends with a black tassel at the end.
The ears on the head of the short-eared gerbil are really hard to distinguish.
The short-eared gerbil or Desmodillus auricularis is distinguished by small ears, tightly pressed to the body. The color is red or red-brown, the abdomen, legs and places behind the ears are covered with white wool.
Body length does not exceed 12 cm, weight - 70 g. The tail is shorter than the body - 8-10 cm. Natural habitats - South Africa.
Mongolian gerbil is the most common breed
Mongolian or clawed gerbils are considered the most popular for home keeping.... The scientific name of the individual is Meriones unguiculatus.
Belongs to large species: size - about 20 cm, weight - up to 120 g. At the end of a long tail there is a pretty tassel. Male Mongolian mice are larger than females.
In nature, they are found in the steppes of Mongolia and the surrounding areas. The genes of these particular species of mammals were subjected to the first studies with the subsequent deduction of various colors. Natural color is sand. The hair coat has a heterogeneous color along its entire length - red around the body and black at the ends.
Downy-tailed gerbils have longer tail hairs than body hairs
Sekeetamys calurus has a sandy color. The tail is completely covered with thick hair, often with a white tassel at the end. The hairs on the tail are longer than on the whole body. Hence the name of the animal - fluffy gerbil.
The size of the mammal ranges from 10 to 13 cm. In nature, it is found in the steppes and deserts of North Africa and Western Asia.
Pros and cons of a gerbil as a pet
Gerbils are clean and playful, but you can't wait for the silence of the night from them.
Let's take a look at the main benefits of keeping gerbils at home:
- Cleanliness - in comparison with other rodents, gerbils require the least care, it is enough to clean the cage once a week;
- There is almost no smell;
- Unpretentious in food;
- If you take a couple, there is no need to constantly entertain the animal, you can leave it unattended, the animals will not die of boredom;
- Well tamed to the hands.
Like any animals, along with the pluses, there are a number of disadvantages:
- The active life of gerbils occurs mainly at night. This means that during your sleep the animal will make a lot of noise - digging and digging. Do not keep pets in the bedroom at night.
- Gerbils are rodents, and that says it all. They constantly gnaw at everything they see. There is no need to talk about any wooden houses. It should be a cage with metal rods, sturdy swings and feeders.
- The lifespan is about 2-3 years. During this period, the owner will have time to get used to the pet - parting is often difficult.
Before bringing a new resident into the house, you should find out about the basic conditions for keeping gerbils. The better you prepare in advance, the less hassle the rodent will cause in the future.
Do not place the animal cage in direct sunlight or in a draft. Despite the fact that the gerbils are home to sunny territories, it is necessary for the animal to be able to hide in the shade.
What to feed
Your gerbil's menu should always include seeds, nuts, and dried vegetables and fruits.
Under natural conditions, gerbils live in deserts or steppes. Accordingly, the food should be similar to that which can be obtained in nature.
A gerbil's main diet consists of a variety of herbs and seeds.... Rodents get water from plants, but just in case, a drinker should be placed in the cage.
You can buy specialized food for gerbils at pet stores. If not available, hamster kits will do. However, it is recommended to remove sunflower seeds and peanuts - gerbils cannot eat a lot of fat. You can also choose your own diet: a mixture of barley and oats will become the basis. Adding a variety of fresh or dried vegetables and fruits (except citrus fruits) will diversify your pet's meals.
Some individuals are happy to eat dry cat food - it also has all the necessary trace elements for the life and development of the animal.
Each rodent will independently choose the ideal type of food. Give him that opportunity. The only thing is that fatty and oily foods should be given limitedly. Gerbils love them very much, but an overabundance can negatively affect the pet's health.
At the moments of feeding, the animal is accustomed to humans. Offer him different types of products from your hands, and he will understand that the owner is not his enemy.
Video: Feeding your gerbils
Hygiene and bathing
Sandbath - the ultimate hygiene routine for your gerbil
Gerbils are practically odorless - this factor is often decisive when choosing a pet. Water for desert animals is strictly prohibited... And yet, they need periodic cleaning - bathing. Surprisingly, but the best place for hygiene is sand. Take a deep container larger than the size of a mammal, cover it with clean sand and place the animal there. Nature will take its toll - he will quickly figure out what he needs to do.
Do not forget that the gerbil is a rodent. If the container is plastic, there is a risk that he will start gnawing at it, so you can swim only under supervision, or you need to find a more durable material.
Features of behavior
If you decide to have a gerbil, be sure to memorize its sign language.
By the behavior of the pet, you can understand what state it is in - playful, sleepy, painful or frightened.
Frequent rustling of its hind legs, similar to a drum roll, indicates that the animal is scared and warns of the danger of its relatives. Even when there are no other gerbils around, this behavior is natural.
Stronger and louder, intermittent kicks with paws indicate that the animal is ready for mating and is waiting for a partner.
From time to time, gerbils make sounds, most often this means that they are afraid of something or are calling other mice. If the pet begins to squeak frequently in a dream, you should show it to the doctor. This can be both a feature of the animal and a sign of health problems.
Taking the animal in your arms, pay attention to its paws. If they are clenched into fists, then he is uncomfortable. Better to put the gerbil back in place. When an animal trusts you, its legs are relaxed and its toes are straightened..
Video: Gerbil knocks paws
Diseases and treatment
Take your gerbil to the vet at the first suspicion of discomfort.
The causes of ailments in gerbils are varied. Do not delay the trip to the veterinarian - many diseases proceed very quickly, and the animal dies.
The first thing to do when the baby is sluggish is to place him in a warm, quiet and shaded place.... Be sure to provide the mouse with fresh water.
Puffy, pus-filled eyes and red discharge from them are often signs of conjunctivitis. It is necessary to eliminate dust; it is better to temporarily cover the cage with clean napkins. Dried echinacea can be added to the feed. Rinse your eyes with chamomile tincture. Veterinarians often prescribe antibiotics in drops.
Bloody nasal discharge can mean allergies and, as a result, itching. Change food and bedding. If the condition has not changed within 24 hours, show it to the doctor.
Sometimes the animals begin to gnaw their tail - this is a sign of a fungal infection. You cannot do without the help of a specialist.
Vaccination
Vaccinations for gerbils, which are kept exclusively in the home and do not interfere with street rats, are not required. There is an experience of vaccinating an animal, but it has not been sufficiently studied, there are no special preparations for small rodents.
Choice of cages and accessories
A gerbil must have a digging container in a cage.
The gerbil cage and accessories inside it must be made of durable materials that the animal cannot gnaw.
These animals love to dig very much, so they need to be given such an opportunity.... To do this, the pallet is filled with hay, dry grass or special flooring purchased from a pet store. Accordingly, the lower closed part of the cage should be deep. Be sure to provide access to water and feed. The house and toys will add entertainment to the kid.
Breeding
If you decide to expand the colony of domestic gerbils, then all you need to do is to ensure cleanliness and provisions - the parents will do the rest
Breeding gerbils is not difficult. But you should not do this if the owners for future cubs have not been found in advance.
How to determine gender
Sexually mature males have well-developed testes that can be seen between the rodent's hind legs. If necessary, you can press lightly on the abdomen - the difference between the female and the male will become more noticeable.
In the female, the anal and genital openings are very close, a couple of millimeters apart.
Knitting
The first birth in a mouse must occur before reaching one year of age.... For mating, the pair should be placed in a separate cage. You can add sunflower seeds to the female's food - a small amount of oils and fats will not hurt her during this period.
Gerbils reach sexual maturity from 10 weeks of age. After 20 months of life, it is not worth bringing them together.
How and how long does gerbils get pregnant?
Gerbils are pregnant for 24 to 28 days. Older individuals hatch longer. There are times when a nursing mother gets pregnant again - in this case, the waiting time for the offspring can increase up to 40 days. Before giving birth, the female begins to equip the nest and becomes calmer.
How to care for newborns
Gerbils are born naked. By the fourth day, eyes and ears open. On the ninth day, babies become active and become overgrown with fur. 2 weeks after birth, you can determine the sex of the animal. In the first days, there is no need to disturb the parents - the mother and father of newborns are happy to swarm around the children. It is important to keep it clean and provide pets with food and clean water.
Training and games
Gerbils are very playful rodents
Gerbils are very curious animals. It is on this feature that it is worth building communication with a new pet and training it.
Before you start to master joint games with the animal, you should accustom it to your hands. To do this, offer the rodent a variety of treats. Sooner or later he will come closer and stop being afraid. Do not make sudden movements - this can frighten the animal.
Gerbils are happy to play with a man. They love to run from hand to hand, crawl into their sleeves and wade through a kind of tunnel. With frequent communication, the mice get used to the owner and independently climb onto his shoulder, from where they enjoy watching everything that happens. During the games, you can periodically feed your friend.
Do not in any way frighten or scold the mammal, in response to this it may bite or stop approaching a person.
How many gerbils live at home
On average, gerbils live up to 2-3 years... Rare individuals at home live up to 4 years of age. The last year of a mouse's life is different - chronic diseases appear, the animal becomes less mobile.
How to name a pet
The gerbil doesn't care what you call her - she won't respond anyway.
The name of the animal can be absolutely anything. Gerbils do not respond to the call of a person, so the main thing is that it is convenient for the owner to name the animal during communication and joint games. Often the nickname is chosen based on the appearance of the animal, its color or size. Behavior also influences the choice of the name. You can call the pet by the name of your favorite fairytale hero, there are also human names.
Gerbils are the ideal choice for a friend. They do not smell, are not demanding in maintenance and care, are not picky about food and are very curious. Its only serious drawback is its lifespan, which rarely exceeds 3 years.
Probably, many have already seen this animal in pet stores or on the market, which has recently become widespread among animal lovers and looks something like a mouse or a rat, something like a hamster, and something like a jerboa. This animal is a gerbil.
All gerbils are small, proportionally built, long-tailed rodents. The body length varies in different species from 5 to 20 cm, the tail - from 3.5 to 21 cm. In the smallest forms, the physique is rather light, graceful; the body of the largest gerbils is rounded. The hind legs are usually noticeably longer than the front ones; the feet are always longer than the brush, which gives them some resemblance to jerboas. The tail, as a rule, is approximately equal to the length of the body, has a tassel of elongated hair at the end. The coloration is typical of desert rodents - the general tone of the upper body is usually light sandy tones, the underparts are pure white, contrasting with the coloration of the back.
Clawed, or Mongolian gerbil
We have - in Moscow and St. Petersburg - the most common species of gerbils in keeping - clawed, or, as it is more often called, the Mongolian gerbil Meriones unguiculatus. These are relatively small gerbils: the body length is 10-14 cm, the tail is 8.5-11.5 cm. abdomen white tops and dark bases, so that the overall color is off-white. These gerbils are characterized by long claws (hence the specific name - clawed). This species spends a lot of time digging - more than many other gerbils.Gerbils in nature
In nature, clawed gerbils live in Mongolia, Dzungaria, Tuva, southern and eastern Transbaikalia. They settle in the desert steppes, that is, in the semi-desert zone. They can live next to a person, since they find enough food in the fields and near buildings - weeds and cereals. They are diurnal animals, only in the hot months of summer they are active at dusk. They do not hibernate in winter, they live mainly at the expense of the stocks made over the summer. They can sometimes (in good weather) come to the surface, but at the same time they do not dig passages in the snow, like many other rodents (mice, voles), but walk directly on the snow. They lead a sedentary, family-group lifestyle. The family usually consists of one adult male and one or two, less often three adult females and their offspring. During spring and summer, females bring up to three broods, on average 5-7 cubs in each.
Young ones can stay in the family until the next spring, when the time comes for them to settle and create their families, but the animals from the first spring brood can leave and begin to breed in the same summer. Each family group occupies a separate plot with two or three nesting and several simple burrows used as temporary shelters. In family groups of complex composition, numbering two or three adult females, females live together in one territory, but only one reproduces, or each has its own nesting hole, protecting it from other females (but not from the male). In this case, all females breed.
The sizes of the plots vary from 100 to 1600 square meters, the borders are actively guarded by all adults and young animals. Mongolian gerbils have a well-developed middle abdominal gland (it can be seen on the abdomen of an adult animal with the naked eye), the secret of which they mark their territory. The main (dominant) male pays a lot of attention to this.
The sanctuaries of gerbils are numerous and varied in size and complexity of the device: simple, nesting, wintering. Burrows of the simplest type (temporary shelters) have 1-3 entrances, 1-2 m long, are located within a radius of 10-15 m from the permanent burrow and are connected to it by paths. Permanently inhabited summer burrows have 4-5 exits (sometimes up to 10) and a relatively large nesting chamber (20¦15¦15 cm or even larger) at a depth of 40-45 cm, as well as several uninhabited nesting chambers. Wintering burrows are similar to them, but given that it is impossible to feed on the surface in winter, gerbils dig up several chambers (usually 4-5) for food reserves, 2-3 times larger than nesting ones, and wintering nests at a depth of 110-150 cm.
Sometimes permanent burrows have a more complex structure. The total length of passages in them reaches 11 meters, and the wintering nest is located at a depth of 170 cm. When constructing burrows in a new place, the animal willingly uses Brandt's voles as a base for burrows. Usually a number of family plots are located close to each other, forming a colony. On its territory, there are also single gerbils without a specific area. Gerbils feed on greens from spring to mid-summer, from the second half of summer to spring - mainly on seeds of various plants: cereals, lily, Compositae and others. For the winter, a family can prepare several kilograms of food.
Since clawed gerbils have long been kept in captivity, first as a laboratory animal and then as a decorative animal, today there are many different colors: albinos, cream, blue, purple, red, black, "wild" color - "agouti", monochromatic and spotted. Several breeds have been bred, each has its own standard. Of course, on the market and in pet stores we see "outbred" gerbils, mostly black, albino and "wild" color, but there are clubs where you can buy a purebred gerbil of a rare color, with a pedigree from which you can participate in exhibitions and win real prizes!
Gerbil behavior
In captivity, gerbils are active at any time of the day - both in the evening and at night, as well as during the day, especially if something interesting is happening outside. They are easy to tame, take food from their hands, usually do not bite, or at least bite less often than hamsters. When handling a gerbil, you need to remember two things: firstly, a gerbil is able to jump unexpectedly, and quite far, straight into the unknown from your hands, therefore, so that the animal does not hit, falling from a height, and is not lost, it is better to keep its muzzle towards you ... Secondly, you cannot firmly squeeze the animal's tail, otherwise the gerbil will "give away" the skin from the tail, and after a while the part of the tail that has lost its skin will fall off. Animals can be kept alone if you are confident that you can pay enough attention to the animal daily. But it's better to keep a couple. In this case, firstly, the animals will not be bored, and secondly, the behavior of a pair of animals is much richer and more interesting. If you don't want your gerbils to have babies, you can purchase two girls. Usually girls live in peace with each other, especially if they are introduced before eight weeks of age. Boys, even if they are from the same brood, can start fighting when they grow up. Therefore, it is undesirable to keep two adult males together.
It is very interesting to observe gerbils as they play, run around the aquarium or one after another, dig holes or gather material for a nest. Digging takes a very long time; During the day, the "landscape" of the aquarium - holes and slides of sawdust - can change several times. The material for the nest - large sawdust, hay, toilet paper - can be carried by all family members, but the female pays most attention to this. The animal picks up a bundle of blades of grass or sawdust into its mouth with the help of its paws, so that they stick out from the mouth to the sides, and carries it into the nest.
Gradually, gerbils gnaw into small pieces everything that lends itself to gnawing and can be used as bedding in the nest: large blades of hay, large pieces of paper, large sawdust and branches of almost any thickness. However, even if something is not needed as a bedding, but this something can be gnawed - it will be gnawed. Therefore, plastic wheels, feeders and so on, which, perhaps, can last a long time for a hamster, "live" with gerbils no more than a day. It happens that gerbils build one nest in the house, and another outside, or sometimes they change the location of the nest - they live outside for some time, in one of the corners of the aquarium, and then suddenly move to the house.
An important ritual in the life of gerbils is mutual cleansing, which strengthens the relationship between the animals. One animal can even walk after another and "beg" cleaning. By who cleans whom more often, you can roughly determine who is the boss in the family. Dominant ("main") animals more often clean others, and subordinates more often "substitute" for cleaning and can "beg" it from the dominant animal. Gerbils love to sit together, while one gerbil can sit on its long hind legs and lean on top of its whole body on a neighbor. They are silent animals. Their squeak can be heard on the first day of their life (if you did not know that the female is pregnant, then a loud squeak coming from the aquarium will tell you that a joyful event has already happened), or even during an active showdown. But you can often hear the "drum roll" that gerbils knock out with their hind legs when worried.
Gerbil quarters
When kept in captivity, it is important that the room is dry enough - with high humidity, animals will get sick. Gerbils are less demanding for temperature, live well at room temperature, easily tolerate a gradual decrease even to zero, if the room is dry, there are no drafts, enough high-calorie food, there is a house and material for the nest. Animals can be kept both in cages and in terrariums. In a cage, gerbils will never be too humid or stuffy, but the cage itself must be strong, and around the perimeter you need a side 15-20 cm high (10 cm above the litter level, otherwise the entire space around the cage will be covered with it). It is better that the terrarium is made of ordinary glass, since the surface of the plexiglass is quickly scratched. From above it must be tightly covered with a mesh cover - gerbils jump very well and high. The dimensions of the room for a pair of clawed gerbils are 60x30x40 cm (of course, the more the better).
The bottom is covered with bedding. The best option is a 3-10 cm thick layer of large sawdust. You can change it once a week, while the room will not even have a hint of an unpleasant odor. Sawdust absorbs moisture well and has thermal insulation properties. Not coniferous sawdust! They contain resin, so they do not absorb moisture well and, moreover, have a harmful effect on animals, especially the liver suffers. You can pour sand, stones and driftwood, creating a real corner of the desert. It looks original, but the sand can produce dust, it does not absorb moisture well, it gets dirty quickly and it is cold, so this can only be done in warm rooms, and you must definitely take care of a warm wooden house and material for the nest.
You can use a mixture of peat with garden soil and finely chopped straw (in a ratio of 1: 1: 1) as bedding. In this case, almost the entire terrarium is filled with a wet mixture, leaving a distance of about 15 cm to the upper edge. The mixture is tamped down, and gerbils can dig holes in it. Moreover, if for the first few days the walls of the terrarium are closed, for example, with cardboard, then gerbils can dig their passages next to the glass, and then it will be possible to observe their underground life. With this content, you can change the top layer of the mixture once a week, and the entire mixture once every 3 months. One of the disadvantages of this kind of maintenance is that it is almost impossible to catch gerbils without destroying all their burrows.
It is advisable to put a wooden or ceramic house in the room for gerbils. The simplest house is two small wooden planks, knocked together at a right angle. The bottom of the house does not need - on the one hand, it will not be wet in it, and on the other hand, it is easy to catch the gerbil by lifting it. The animals love to sit on elevations, and the house is very suitable for this, and in case of danger they can always hide in it. This will make your gerbils' life more comfortable. Of course, the wooden houses will have to be changed periodically, but the gerbils will always have something to chew on, and there will be no problems with the incisors that are constantly growing in rodents. As a material for a nest, gerbils can use hay (gradually eating it), large sawdust and just toilet paper. If there is no house, the animals build a nest, really similar at first glance to a bird's nest, in one of the corners of the aquarium.
It is very desirable to put the wheel, but it should be metal (otherwise it will be gnawed in a day), large (gerbils have a long tail, and they often run in jumps), strengthened firmly (otherwise it is turned upside down) and above the level of the litter (otherwise they will bury it). It is good to put a drinker: let the animal have a choice - to drink or not to drink. But for people from the semi-desert zone, this is not vital. You can feed your gerbils with any ready-made feed mixture for rodents, plus wet food (fruits except citrus fruits, vegetables), hay for food and nests and twigs (willow, birch, apple tree) for training incisors. It is good to give vitamins for rodents, sprouted oats, and in summer grass, once a week - protein feed (boiled egg, cottage cheese).
Breeding gerbils
Gerbils breed easily. Pregnancy lasts 27-30 days, lactation (milk feeding) 20-25 days. There are usually 4-5 cubs in a brood (from 1 to 8-10). They are born naked and blind, after 5 days they are covered with hair, and after 2 weeks they open their eyes. But even 2-4 days before the opening of the eyes, the cubs begin to actively crawl out of the nest, try to dig and sometimes even try something on their teeth. The male does not need to be removed during childbirth and feeding: he is not only not dangerous for children, but also actively helps the female. The male never eats cubs, as happens, for example, in hamsters. But the female, it happens, eats several cubs from the litter on the first day after birth. This can happen for several reasons. On the one hand, it is possible that the cub was born dead or unviable. Another reason may be anxiety of the female on the day of birth. Another possible reason that does not immediately come to mind is a lack of water. It happens that gerbils and other rodents are not given water, and they are content with the liquid that they get from juicy feed - apples, carrots, cabbage, etc.
Some animals are able to live in such conditions for quite a long time if they receive succulent food every day. But in no case should this be taken as a recommendation - animals should always be given free access to water. Gerbils can live without water for a very long time - this is due to their adaptation to life in arid places. But the female has to spend a lot of liquid not only on herself, but also on bearing and feeding the cubs. It may also be due to a lack of protein or minerals (especially calcium) in the female's body. All of the above is also true for other rodent species. Therefore, when childbirth is approaching and within one to two weeks after the birth of the cubs, the animals should not be disturbed and it is necessary to ensure that they have enough water, and that the diet is complete, varied and includes protein foods.
On the first day after giving birth, gerbils mate, and it seems that the parents are not paying any attention to the cubs. They can even dig them up along with the substrate, not paying attention to the plaintive squeak of babies. But there is no need to worry - everything will be fine with them, the next day the parents will start taking care of them as expected. Both parents, together or in turn, warm the cubs, clean them and take them to the nest, if they suddenly fall out of there. By the month, the cubs switch to independent feeding, but it is better not to separate them from their parents until two or three months, and if there is enough space, then you can leave the whole large family to live together.
Other gerbils
Theoretically, it is believed that the large Rhombomys opimus and the red-tailed Meriones libycus gerbils are also widespread in the content, but in reality, in addition to the clawed gerbils, you can find only one of the species of African gerbils - a graceful animal a little larger than a mouse, red with a white belly, with a pointed muzzle and big eyes. And even then, you can see it very rarely, except perhaps at an exhibition of rodents or sometimes in a pet store at a zoo.If you decide to purchase a couple of these interesting animals, you can always find them on the Kondratyevsky market and in many pet stores. Each animal will cost you about 60-100 rubles. To purchase a purebred animal, visit a rodent exhibition or contact one of the rodent lovers' clubs.
* Arid climate (from Latin aridus - dry) - a dry climate with high air temperatures, experiencing large daily fluctuations, and little or no precipitation (100-150 mm / year). The arid climate is characteristic of deserts and semi-deserts.
Gribkova O.
The Mongolian gerbil is a small rodent. They live in kindergartens, zoo corners and at the stations of young naturalists, as pets. They are small in size but larger than mice and hamsters. Unlike rats and mice, the gerbil's tail is completely covered with hair. She has a tassel at the end of her tail. Gerbils are varied in color as a result of selective breeding. They are very clean, friendly and inquisitive. Gerbils bring only joy to their owners. They love to play, climb ladders and climb hills. They play very funny with plastic or rag balls.
About the breed:
The gerbil can be confused with the rat, its closest relative. They are similar, only gerbils are smaller in weight and size. The tail of gerbils is not naked, but completely covered with hair and at the end with a brush. It is easy to tame, so it becomes a favorite animal for the home, living areas and pet circles. This animal is clean enough, almost does not smell and willingly makes contact with humans. This appreciation led to the selection of gerbils. Thanks to which many different colors have appeared. In Russia, the most common Mongolian gerbil is found, judging by the name inhabiting Mongolia.
Names in other languages:
Gerbillinae is the common name for the genus of gerbils (Latin),
Meriones unguiculatus - a species of Clawed gerbil (Latin),
Gerbille, Gerbil - Gerbil (English),
Sandaal - Gerbil (German).
Classification:
Type: there are about 110 species
Genus: 14 genera of gerbils are known
Subfamily: Gerbils
Family: Mouse
Order: Rodents
Infraclass: Placental
Class: Mammals
Subtype: Vertebrates
Type: Chordates
Kingdom: Animals.
Gerbil habitat:
Gerbils grow up to 20 cm, but they are very small, about 5 cm. Weight is about 100-200 g, and small ones weigh no more than 15 g. A distinctive feature is a fluffy tail, with a small brush at the tip. The muzzle can be sharp or dull. The characteristic color lies in its name. The color can be brownish-sandy or brown, this is due to its camouflage in the sands. Different gerbil species have different teeth. The standard number is 16 teeth. The molars have roots, but there are teeth without roots. This animal is defenseless, so nature has endowed it with excellent hearing, keen eyesight, elongated hind legs to move faster, and a quick reaction. Gerbils are active during the daytime all year round and can hibernate in winter.
Gerbil breeding:
Female gerbils are capable of producing 4 - 7 offspring in one year. The number of babies in a litter is from 5-6 pieces. Females carry them for about a month. Each baby becomes mature only at two months. Gerbils have a short lifespan. In the wild, gerbils can live for 3-4 months. During the reproductive period, Mongolian gerbils have a particularly interesting behavior. They gather, usually in a small colony, in which there are from one to three females per male with their matured offspring. Each such settlement protects the territory, sometimes they arrange show fights, and do not let other gerbils enter the territory of their colony. Therefore, at home, you should not keep more than two rodents of different sexes in the same cage, because they can divide the space more bloodthirsty. In nature, everyone takes care of the common brood together, even males.
Gerbil maintenance:
Gerbil is one of the most active and mobile rodents, this should be remembered by those who decide to have it at home. The gerbil needs a spacious and free cage, the floor of which is covered with a thick layer of straw or hay, about 15-20 cm. Such a layer is necessary for the gerbil to be able to dig. It is better to purchase a trellised cage with a pallet, because an active pet can accidentally scatter the litter. Place a container of sand in the gerbil's cage in which they can take a bath or use it as a toilet. You do not need to choose a dwelling with high shelves or several floors, because the animal is fragile, it can fall and be injured. To release energy into the cage, it is better to put a wheel. But this may not be enough for an active rodent. He must be released to run, only under the close supervision of a person. The room should not have hard-to-reach places for humans - gerbils try to arrange nests in these places. The cage should be made of durable material, since gerbils always tend to chew on everything, one day they can get to their cage.
Additional Information:
When choosing your gerbil, be sure to take a close look at it. The coat should be clean and close to the body. The eyes should be open and shiny, the ears and nose clean and dry. A healthy gerbil is very active. It is better to take her home from 1 to 6 months, because the older she is, the more difficult it will be to tame her. In addition, there is a great risk of buying a very old animal that will not live long. To learn more about your pet, you can become a member of the Rodent Lovers Club.
