Hoarding is a confusing behavior, not least because captive gerbils have plenty of food. There’s no chance that your pet might starve under your care if it doesn’t bury its food and save it for later. [It’s an instinctual reaction known as hoarding. Gerbils bury food so that some food will be available when there’s … Read more
Telling apart small rodents isn’t initially straightforward. Unless you’re used to them, you may not know how to tell the difference between gerbils and guinea pigs. The average guinea pig is stocky and 10 inches long, while a gerbil has a smaller build and is only 5 inches long. Guinea pigs have no external tail, … Read more
Some pet rodents are cuddly and fluffy, while others are more energetic and playful. They all have different characteristics. So, picking the best pet rodent for yourself or your child isn’t as easy as you might think. Pet rodents include gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, chinchillas, mice, and rats. The friendliest rodents are either gerbils or … Read more
Gerbils and mice are two of the most popular kinds of pet rodents. Telling gerbils and mice apart can be difficult for a novice. But if you learn about the obvious physical differences, it can be done. [A mouse’s ears are much bigger and rounder than a gerbil’s. A gerbil’s tail is fatter and furrier … Read more
A gerbil’s life can seem a bit dull. Pet owners may think that swimming will be a good source of fun and enrichment. In reality, gerbils don’t have much cause to swim. There’s nowhere to swim in their cages and just as few sources of water in their natural habitat. Gerbils dislike swimming. They won’t … Read more
There are many different species of gerbils. They all vary in size, depending on their species and sex. The kinds of gerbils found in pet stores are medium-sized. Mongolian gerbils, or domesticated gerbils, can reach up to 5.3 inches in length (excluding the tail). Healthy adult gerbils can weigh up to 135 grams. Females are … Read more
Gerbils live in burrows, both in the wild and in captivity. This means they have to do lots of climbing to survive. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that gerbils are good climbers. Gerbils can climb if they have handholds. They can’t climb smooth plastic, especially at a completely vertical angle. Gerbils can climb stairs, horizontal … Read more
If your gerbil is sleeping all the time or is unusually inactive, you may think it’s hibernating. If it’s winter, most pets like gerbils are slightly less active than usual anyway. While some rodents hibernate, gerbils don’t. Hibernation is a deep sleep during which body temperature, heart rate, and metabolic rate all drop. Gerbils don’t … Read more
There are surprisingly few different gerbil colors. If you live somewhere that unusual colors are rare, you may have only seen golden agouti gerbils. The most common gerbil color is the golden agouti, but you can also find white, blue, lilac, and gray. There are also different patterns, like spotting and piebald. These different colors … Read more
If you watch your pets for long enough, you may notice your gerbils eating poop. While this is disgusting to humans, ‘coprophagy’ is a common behavior among Rodentia. Coprophagy helps animals redigest vitamins and nutrients in their feces, e.g., vitamins B and K. It also helps redigest tough plant matter, i.e., fiber. You shouldn’t stop … Read more
Separate baby gerbils from their mother, and opposite-sex siblings, before they reach sexual maturity. But never remove gerbils from their mother before they’re ready to live independently. Most pups are weaned by five weeks and will survive if separated then. The gerbils will be healthier and happier if separated at eight weeks. Put the father … Read more
Foot stomping (also known as drumming) is when your pet pounds its back feet in quick succession. Gerbil foot-stomping sounds like a tiny drum, and it can be surprisingly loud for a small animal. Drumming happens when a gerbil is excited or stressed. Gerbils stomp when you scare them, or they see a threat, such … Read more
Loneliness in gerbils can cause sadness and depression, so socialization is crucially important. You can keep them in pairs or groups, but this can lead to fighting between gerbils. Gerbils should be paired up because they are social animals. Bigger groups are possible, but then declanning becomes an issue, which causes fighting. Almost all single … Read more
Wild Mongolian gerbils have golden agouti fur and black eyes. For a long time, there was no such thing as a gerbil with red eyes. But nowadays, there are four different gerbil eye colors, including red. Pet gerbils’ eyes can be black, wine, red, or pink. Wine eyes look almost black but glow red in … Read more
Like all animals, gerbils need to blink to keep their eyes moist and clean of debris. But if you spend lots of time around your pet, you may also notice that your gerbil winks frequently. Winking in gerbils is a type of body language and communication. It’s a sign that a gerbil is happy and … Read more
Gerbils are social creatures, so vocalizations are frequent. But if you hear your gerbil making weird noises, you probably won’t know what they mean. Gerbils make noise to communicate, both with you and other gerbils. Gerbils squeak and thump their feet to frighten other gerbils or predators. They make ‘yipping’ sounds when excited. Gerbils also … Read more
One of the nicest things about having pets is cuddling, stroking, and holding them close to you. But because gerbils get easily nervous and scared, they may not seem to be as affectionate. Most gerbils enjoy petting or sitting in your hand. Some gerbils will allow you to cuddle or hug them once trust is … Read more
Many people underestimate how much sleep the average gerbil needs. Because gerbils are such active animals, they need a lot of sleep to compensate for this physical exertion. But it isn’t normal for a gerbil to sleep all the time or suddenly sleep more than usual. Gerbils can spend up to 12 hours per day … Read more
The first thing children want to know is if a pet gerbil is a boy or a girl. And if you’re buying your own pet, you want to know if male or female gerbils are more friendly and sociable. Males are bigger than females and can be smellier. They’re friendlier to owners/other gerbils and enjoy … Read more
Few people know the main differences between gerbils and hamsters. They look similar because they’re both rodents and are small animals, but there are pros and cons to each of these rodent pets. Most gerbils are larger in size. Once socialized and used to handling, neither pet is likely to bite. Gerbils don’t smell bad … Read more