Gerbils are encircles that belong to the same family as hamsters. There are many types and varieties of gerbils (eared gerbils, thick-tailed gerbils,) but if you are wondering what gerbils are like, they all have very similar behavior. Gerbils currently exist on three continents: Asia, Africa and Europe.
The most common, which we usually find in almost any animal or pet store, are the gerbils that are known under the name of Mongolian gerbils. However, this name should not lead us to misunderstandings since this variety of gerbils does not come from that country, but from China. These animals live in a desert environment and, obviously, their behavior and way of life are adapted to these harsh climatic conditions.
Living in the desert, gerbils are used to digging very deep tunnels and burrows to protect themselves during the hottest hours.
In addition, given the extreme temperature of the environment in which they live, we are faced with a species of rodents that do not hibernate and remain active throughout the year. Gerbils usually feed on food such as roots, seeds or herbs, but it should be noted that they are omnivorous animals and when it is possible for them to hunt insects they do so.
One of the most remarkable characteristics of these animals is that they are very social beings. They live in families made up of a male, a female and their young. If you want to acquire a gerbil as a pet, you should seriously consider acquiring at least two, since gerbils tend to be sad and melancholic when they are alone. Another of the great advantages when adopting a gerbil as a pet is its small size, which will allow you to keep it in a cage that does not take up too much work. Gerbils are smaller than mice and weigh between fifty and one hundred grams.
One of the most notable physical features of gerbils is their tails. These are as long as the rest of their body and are covered in hair. As for their color, gerbils usually have brown fur with blonde and black spots and spots. The color of the hair that covers his belly usually has a lighter shade. This is the most common color of gerbils but its crossing with other species over the last few years has made it present very different colors.
Gerbils have been used as research animals for more than half a century. This has come about due to the fact that gerbils are highly intelligent and docile animals. In addition, they hardly require care. They are very friendly animals that bite very rarely. They are also very fast and agile and their extreme curiosity makes them very important laboratory animals. If you want to know more about these animals and what gerbils are like, in the following lines we will explain them in detail.
What do you need for gerbils?
- One or more gerbils
- To cage
- Gerbil food
- Veterinarian
Gerbil Instructions
- One of the most important points when deciding to have a gerbil as a pet is that you must bear in mind that gerbils are very active animals during the day and at night. Many people do not take this into account and are surprised when the gerbils begin to make noise at night, something that can be very annoying if you sleep in the same room as the cage. Gerbils alternate small periods of sleep with others of activity throughout the 24 hours of the day. A good idea is to move the cage out of the room where you sleep at night, so that the gerbils won’t disturb your sleep despite their nocturnal activities.
- As we mentioned a few lines ago, gerbils are very social animals and it is convenient to have more than one. This will not only have an effect on the fact that your pet will be happier and will not be depressed, but it will also help your gerbil to exercise a lot and rest better. Gerbils often sleep next to each other. This provides them warmth but also peace of mind as they feel protected by the rest of their clan.
- Don’t wake up your pets. Gerbils are very docile and calm animals and rarely attack but you should allow them to rest as long as they need. Remember that they alternate periods of rest with other periods of activity and it is very important that they rest properly.
- Play with them. Gerbils are very curious and active animals. Being locked in their cage all day doing nothing does not help your pets to be happy. Buy them toys of all kinds and play with them.
- Put objects in their cage that they can gnaw on. Like other rodents, gerbils need to wear down their teeth since they are constantly growing. If you don’t give them objects to chew on, they will begin to gnaw on the cage and end up destroying it. You do not need to spend money on tethers, any object will serve this purpose, and in particular, they love cardboard rolls.
- Digging is one of their favorite activities since in nature they build burrows underground. In a cage they do not usually have the opportunity to do so, so sometimes you can decide to release them for a while, and always under your direct supervision, in a field where they can do it.
- Another of the great virtues of gerbils that make them perfect pets is that they are very clean animals. You do not need to bathe them since they wash themselves and the rest of the animals of their clan.
Tips for Gerbils
- Never, under any circumstances, should you grab a gerbil by its tail. Gerbils have developed tactics for centuries to escape from predators. One of these tactics is to get rid of their tail in case they are caught by this part of their body. As has already been mentioned throughout the article, gerbils have a very long tail, which has an extension equal to the length of their body. This is the main reason why gerbils are often trapped by this part of their body. If a gerbil loses its tail, it does not get it back. Losing their tail will not be a great trauma for them but they will suffer pain, so it is better that you get used to always holding them by the body and never by the tail.
