Datasheet gerbil
Latin name:
Gerbilus unguiculatus
Origin:
Asia
Size:
9 to 14 cm
age expectation:
4 years
behavior/stocking
Groups vs. individual housing:
group housing in a family
Lining:
Gerbil food, seeds, grains, fruits, vegetables, fruit tree branches
Difficulty level:
medium
User: Rebroad, Gerbil, CC BY-SA 4.0
General information
Gerbils are gerbils that come from the steppes of Mongolia. your scientific name Gerbilus unguiculatus they owe their large, dark claws.
Colloquially, gerbils are also often referred to as Mongolian gerbils, racing rats or gerbils. become gerbils 9 to 14 cm long. They weigh between 60 and 100 grams.
The fur of gerbils is soft and rather short. It reaches a length of 10 millimeters. The undercoat in particular feels fine. At the top are the gerbils grey-brown to brown-yellow. Black hair often grows on the back. The eyes shine dark and rimmed.
The gerbils lay in pantries winter supplies at. They forage in steppes and deserts. They are particularly common in semi-deserts with grain cultivation.
Gerbils can cope with almost any climate. They survive both freezing winters and hot summers. Nevertheless, it is important that the rodent home is not in direct sunlight, as the gerbils in the wild have a burrow that regulates the outside temperatures.
Usually the gerbils stop no hibernation. They only reduce their activity at very extreme temperatures. By nature, gerbils are very social animals.
They often live in large family associations. Mostly live several generations together. Male cubs sometimes leave the territory. Unfamiliar conspecifics are scared away, so it is important not to put any unfamiliar animals in the cage.
In a rodent home, the gerbils can 4 years old become. They live much longer in captivity than in the wild. The average life expectancy there is only a few months.
acquisition and maintenance
Acquiring gerbils is not a big problem. In most pet stores gerbils are available. Private individuals sometimes also offer animals from private breeders.
When buying, it is important to observe the animals closely. You should have one vital and healthy impression make. The fur or eyes should not be glued together.
The rodent home should be suitable for gerbils. The Animals love to dig and create tunnels and chambers. A large bowl of sand for a long bath and a feeding station are also essential.
The gerbils take care of their fur with the sand bath. It saves a lot of work if the feeding place is easy to clean. Because the gerbils very active are, the cage should be at least 120 cm long.
Many rodent homes on the market are too small for gerbils. An interior with Plastic is unsuitable, as the gerbils often chew on the plastic. This can endanger your health and poses a risk of injury.
Keeping them in a terrarium is also not recommended, as the air in them often cannot circulate well. In addition, they are difficult to clean. The most suitable Wooden gerbil boxes.
These have a viewing window and a Drawer for high litter. Wood chips or small animal litter are very suitable for digging. The litter is easy to change.
In the home it should also several floors give. The gerbils like to climb and use the different levels for sleeping and supplies. Of course, the floors also increase the floor space of the rodent home.
Included in the basic equipment Wooden houses and cardboard tunnels. The gerbils hide their food in these houses. For this reason, each animal needs at least two to three houses.
requirement for posture
Gerbils need a lot of space to move around. They are very active and fast. Therefore he has to cage very big and be spacious.
They need a lot of exercise to keep them in a species-appropriate manner. Therefore, the cage should be as spacious as possible. Gerbils love to run and play.
The range of games includes many options for climbing and digging. Roots, ladders and tubes are very suitable as toys. You can also connect two cages together.
Bridges are also very popular. Gerbils also like to play with cork and cardboard. A bowl of the finest chinchilla sand not only offers variety, but is also used for personal hygiene. This sand is well suited because it does not dust much.
Gerbils are also good jumpers, so the cage should be well secured. The litter tray should be as high as possible so that the animals can dig deep. The basic equipment includes dormitories and feeding rooms.
There should also be plenty of nesting material. Offer themselves as building material hay, cellulose and wood shavings at. You can also set up a large playground in an old aquarium. A playground offers a lot of variety. There should be many climbing opportunities and hiding places exist. Toys for gerbils are also available in stores.
Not all gerbils like exercise wheels, but you can offer them a large hamster exercise wheel. The gerbil should definitely go into the wheel voluntarily. You must never put him on the bike. Healthy gerbils are always agile and fit. They want to walk and play a lot. So it’s a red flag when a gerbil appears lethargic.
gender differences
In order to avoid or have offspring, it is important to know the sexes of the animals. However, the differences are not always very noticeable. Especially at young gerbils is the sex determination difficult.
Therefore, the sex of gerbils is often incorrectly determined. The most important clue to gender is the Distance between the genitals and the anus.
At male this distance is significant greater than in females. In female gerbils, the teats are sometimes visible. The gender check should only be carried out after six weeks anyway, as it is better not to touch the young animals.
It happens that the mother otherwise rejects the young animals because of the strange smell. At the age of 12 weeks, the testicles can often be seen in the males.
In the steppe, gerbils have offspring only in summer. In a rodent home, however, offspring can be hired at any time. After mating, the young animals follow 24 to 26 days on the world.
Usually will four to six naked young animals born, but a large litter can contain up to 12 babies. The young animals are suckled in the first four weeks. The father helps take care of the nest.
After suckling, the young animals begin to eat independently. The offspring are sexually mature after just three months. This is a good time to give up hatchlings.
The mother can become pregnant again just a few days after the birth. Buying a pair can quickly create a large group.
feed and nutrition
The food should largely correspond to the natural habitat. In the steppe, gerbils mainly gather grass seeds and cereal grains. The finished gerbil lining from the trade ensures a balanced diet.
Minerals and vitamins are often added to the finished feed. You can also get the gerbils in small amounts fresh fruits and vegetables offer. Mostly are in the lining too animal proteins included, since gerbils sometimes eat an insect.
Hemp, buckwheat and wheat grains are particularly healthy for gerbils. Oats is also very suitable. You can also offer them stalks and leaves of mugwort. They also eat salt cabbage with enthusiasm.
So that the animals become more trusting, you can also hand them treats. Vitamin preparations, salt licks and other dietary supplements are usually not necessary.
To keep their teeth from getting too long, gerbils also need gnawing material such as wood and branches. branches of fruit trees are optimal. But you can also feed hard bread or carrots. The teeth must wear out from gnawing.
acclimatization and handling
Gerbils are very lively animals that loving treatment also become quite trusting. Nevertheless, gerbils are neither cuddly animals nor toys. Animals have a mind of their own and should be treated with respect.
If he sleeps, you should let him rest. With a tame animal you can gently put your hand under your belly to lift it up. You should try not to touch the sensitive tail.
Only with gentle handling does the animal gain trust and come to play voluntarily. A treats out of hand strengthens the friendship. Gerbils are quite sensitive to noise and need a lot of rest.
Therefore, the rodent home should be in a quiet and sheltered place. The cage should also not be moved often. Gerbils also like safety and security.
Under no circumstances should you buy a harness or leash for gerbils. The gerbils don’t like these. They want to decide for themselves where and how fast they run. Transparent houses are also unsuitable. Gerbils need a den to hide in. A small cage and too little variety also make them unhappy.
gerbils are curious and love to explore new things. For this reason, you can always change the setup. A new root or new branches to climb are free and a lot of fun.