Caring for your gerbil

Origin

Gerbils are considered part of the rodent family. Their scientific name is "Meriones unguiculatus".

Life Span

Gerbils have an average life span of 3-4 years.

Physical Characteristics (A3)

Sexing

To properly sex a gerbil, the distance between the anus and the genital opening is measured. Males have a space twice the distance of females.

Other

Gerbils are desert animals

Behavioral Characteristics (A4)

In general, gerbils are very cute and popular pets that require minimal care. They do tend to get sick once in a while, and when they do, it is usually severe. Gerbils are definitely cute and small, but they can bite hard. They are usually territorial of their own surroundings. Your gerbil should feel safe and not try to bite with routine handling. Never abruptly awaken your gerbil, as they can scare easily and bite if not approached carefully and gently. It is best to house your gerbil alone and away from your other pets. He or she will feel safer this way.

Helping your gerbil feel safe

Here are some of the conditions that can help gerbils feel safe.

Controlled Environment (people, other animals, cage and room they are in)
Consistency (handling, diet, schedule)

Here are some things that may make some gerbils feel unsafe.

Loud noises
Indifference (handling them with out talking to them)
Inconsistent surroundings
Traveling
Inconsistent diet
Dirty environment
Inconsistent handling
Startling while sleeping

What happens if a gerbil becomes afraid?

There are three basic reactions gerbils can have to fear.

Fight
Flight
Freeze

All gerbils will react in one of these 3 ways. These are characteristics that are a result of instinct and the genetic code. There are no bad gerbils. If a gerbil is afraid enough it may bite (fight response to fear). Even if we don't like an animal's behavior (and the behavior is "bad"), the animal is not bad. Of the three responses gerbils can have to fear, let's look at each one and see how they affect our gerbil.

Fight

This is one way gerbils react to fear. This presents itself in the form of chewing or biting. These animals are not bad, they are simply afraid, and this is how they deal with it. Unfortunately, it can be challenging in a household to have gerbils that react to fear with a fight response. Since they are simply afraid (just like gerbils who react with freeze or flight), if we are emotionally hurt or offended and fight back (hitting, yelling, etc), this will only make them more afraid.

Freeze

Gerbils that freeze stay very still. Sometimes they even hold their breath for long periods of time. They can continue chewing or stop chewing. If you see this (and you probably will), just notice it. If you are observant you will start to notice what you can do to help your gerbil feel less scared.

Flight

This is when a gerbil feels unsafe and runs away. Some gerbils freeze first, then, when the time is right, they run away. Since gerbils can run from fear, chasing them makes them more afraid, so if you can it's best to give them the space and let them come to you. Some gerbils will do this quickly; some may not come to you for weeks to months (or longer). But it always helps to know it's not you but simply that your gerbil is afraid. Don't feel bad or guilty or wrong, just notice when your gerbil is the least afraid and interact then.

The way gerbils operate

When a gerbil is afraid they can react in any of the three ways we discussed, but there are several interesting points.

Whichever way they respond (based on instinct), they will probably always respond this way. This is why it helps to know your gerbil.
They can respond in more than one of these ways. For example, some gerbils will always follow this pattern: they become afraid and they run (flight), then, as they become even more afraid, they eventually get afraid enough to go to the next level (fight or freeze). Usually fight is the last part of their pattern, but once you know their pattern you can always predict it. This is vital information because you can notice where your gerbil is, and you can make changes to help your gerbil feel more safe (such as putting your baby down, picking your baby up, stopping to pet your gerbil, or changing the environment).