Gerbil
Template:Alternateuses
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 Pachyuromys duprasi
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Gerbillus |
A gerbil is a small mammal of the order Rodentia. Once known simply as "desert rats," the gerbil subfamily includes about 110 species of African, Indian, and Asian rodents, including sand rats and jirds, all of which are adapted to arid habitats. Most are primarily diurnal[citation needed] (though some, including the common household pet, do exhibit crepuscular behavior), and almost all are omnivorous.
The word "gerbil" is a diminutive form of "jerboa," though the jerboas are an unrelated group of rodents occupying a similar ecological niche.
One Mongolian species, Meriones unguiculatus, also known as the Clawed Jird, is a gentle and hardy animal that has become a popular pet. It was first brought to the United States in 1954 by Dr. Victor Schwentker for use in research.[1]
Gerbils are typically between six and twelve inches (150 to 300 mm) long, including the tail which makes up approximately one half of their total length. One species however, the Great Gerbil, or Rhombomys opimus, originally native to Turkmenistan, can grow to more than 16 inches (400 mm) in length. The average adult gerbil weighs approximately 2 1/2 ounces. As of August 19, 2003, officials in western China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region began releasing eagles to combat the damage they say the great gerbils have done to eleven million acres (46,000 km²) of grassland.[2]
Pet gerbils have an average lifespan of 2 to 4 years. Some have been known to live five or six years
Gerbils as pets
Gerbils were first introduced to the pet industry in 1964. These were the Mongolian gerbils. Their value as pets was soon appreciated and they are now found in pet shops all over the UK and USA.
It is illegal to purchase, import or keep a gerbil as a pet in the U.S. State of California. [3]
Reasons for popularity
There are several reasons for the popularity of gerbils are household pets. The animals are typically non-aggressive, and they rarely bite unprovoked or without stress. They are small and easy to handle, since they are sociable creatures that enjoy the company of humans and other gerbils.[2][3] Gerbils also have adapted their kidneys to produce a minimum of waste to conserve body fluids which makes them very clean with little odor.
The pets are incredibly industrious and will explore new environments, and they will build, construct, and enjoy elaborate networks of tunnels if given an environment that allows for it. This is easily observable as gerbils are active during all hours of the day, as opposed to the more nocturnal rodent pets. They can "recycle" everyday paper-based items, such as cardboard products and brown paper bags, into toys and nesting material.
Health concerns
Teeth problems
Misalignment of incisors due to injury or malnutrition may result in overgrowth, which can cause injury to the roof of the mouth. Symptoms include a dropped or loss of appetite, drooling, weight loss, or foul breath. The only cure is for a veterinarian to regularly trim the overgrown incisors and prescribe antibiotics.[4]
Trauma
Common injuries are caused by gerbils being dropped or falling, usually while inside of an "exercise ball," which can cause broken limbs or a fractured spine, for which there is no cure. Injured gerbils should be immediately examined by a veterinarian to determine the best course of action in each situation.[4][5]
Neglect
A common problem for all small rodents is neglect, which can cause the gerbils to not get adequate food and water, causing serious health concerns, including serious dehydration, starvation, stomach ulcers, eating of bedding material, and cannibalism. It is important to regularly check water bottles, as they often become clogged or contact bedding, draining the bottles.[4]
Wet tail
The most serious intestinal disease of small rodents is "wet tail," or Proliferative Ileitis, which is most common among weaning gerbils (3-6 weeks). Symptoms include lethargy, increased irritability, hunched posture, fluid or bloody diarrhea, a wet, soiled anal area and tail, and, sometimes, rectal prolapse. A veterinarian is needed to immediately examine and evaluate the situation and will usually treat the problem with fluid replacement.
Epilepsy
Between 20 percent and 50 percent of all pet gerbils have the seizure disorder epilepsy.[6] The seizures are caused by fright, handling, or a new environment. The attacks can be mild to severe but do not typically appear to have any long-term effects, except for rare cases where death results from very severe seizures. If a gerbil is genetically predisposed, the owner can prevent future seizures by frequently handling the gerbils while they're young, keeping their environment stable, and providing them with a complete, balanced diet.[7]
Tumors
Tumors, both benign and malignant, are fairly common in pet gerbils, and are most common in females over the age of 2. Usually, the tumors involve the ovaries, causing an extended abdomen, or the skin cancer, with tumors most often developing around the ears, feet, mid-abdomen, and base of the tail, appearing as a lump or abscess.[7] If it is an external tumor, a veterinarian can often perform surgery, but internal tumors are much more difficult to remove, since the animal is so small in size, so the owners typically elect not to operate, but, rather, elect to euthanize the pet.[4]
Tail sloughing
Gerbils can lose their tails due to improper handling. The first sign is a loss of fur from the tip of the tail, then, the skinless tail dies off and sloughs, with the stump usually healing without complications. However, in some cases, the tail may need to be amputated.[7]
Tyzzer's disease
The most common infectious disease in gerbils is Tyzzer's Disease, which is often caused by either stress or bacteria, and produces symptoms such as ruffled fur, lethargy, hunched posture, poor appetite, diarrhea, and, often death. It quickly spreads between gerbils in the same cage, so, for this reason, it is recommended that a new pet be isolated until you are sure he is free of disease.[7]
Captive-bred gerbil colors
There are many colour varieties of gerbil available in pet shops today generally the result of years of selective breeding.
There are over 20 different coat colors in the Mongolian gerbil, which has been captive-bred the longest.[8]
Another species of gerbil has also been recently introduced to the pet industry: the fat-tailed gerbil, or duprasi. They’re smaller than the common Mongolian gerbils and have long soft coats and a short, fat tail, appearing more like a hamster. There is a variation on the normal duprasi coat which is more gray in color, which may be a mutation, or it may be the result of hybrids between the Egyptian and Algerian subspecies of duprasi.[9][10]
White spotting has been reported in not only the Mongolian Gerbil, but also the Pallid Gerbil[11] and possibly Sundervall's Jird[12].
A long-haired mutation, a grey agouti or chinchilla mutation, white spotting, and possibly a dilute mutation have also appeared in Shaw's Jirds,[13] and white spotting and a dilute mutation have shown up in Bushy-Tailed Jirds.[14]
Notes
- ↑ V. Schwentker. "The Gerbil. A new laboratory animal." Ill Vet 6(1963):5-9.
- ↑ Karen van Veen(ed.). "Behaviour". The Gerbil Information Page. Dutch Gerbil Study Group. Gerbil Genetics Group(Nov. 2001). Retrieved December 6, 2007.
- ↑ "Gerbil Care Handbook". The American Gerbil Society. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 [1] - CaringTogether.com. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
- ↑ "Gerbit FAQ - Nanc.com. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
- ↑ "Gerbil Care" - PetPlace.com. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Gerbils" - MichiganHumane.org. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
- ↑ Anastasi, Donna. Gerbils. Complete care made easy. (Irvine, Calif: BowTie Press, 2005, ISBN 1931993564).
- ↑ Karin van Veen(ed.). The Gerbil Information Page(Dutch Gerbil Study Group, Gerbil Genetics Group, Nov. 2001). Retrieved December 6, 2007.
- ↑ Eddie Cope(ed.). "Fat-Tailed Gerbil (Duprasi)". "Pachyuromys duprasis - Fat Tailed Gerbil."e-Gerbil(2006). Retrieved December 6, 2007.
- ↑ Eddie Cope(ed.). "The Pallid Gerbil - Gerbillus perpallidus". e-Gerbil(2006). Retrieved December 6, 2007.
- ↑ Julian Barker(ed.). "Gerbil Genetics". NGS Frontpage. The National Gerbil Society(2004). Retrieved December 6, 2006.<>.
- ↑ Eddie Cope(ed.). "Care and management of Shaw's Jirds - Meriones shawi". e-Gerbil(2006). Retrieved December 6, 2007.
- ↑ Eddie Cope(ed.). "Sekeetamys calurus - Bushy Tailed Jirds". e-Gerbil(2006). Retrieved December 6, 2007.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- McKenna, Malcolm C., Susan K. Bell, and George Gaylord Simpson. Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level. New York: Columbia University Press, 1997. ISBN 023111012X
- Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton. "Family Muridae". Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder(eds.). Washington, D.C.:Smithsonian Institution Press, 1993, 501-755.
- Nowak, R. M. Walker's Mammals of the World, Vol. 2. London:Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999.
- Pavlinov, I. Ya., Yu. A. Dubrovskiy, O. L. Rossolimo, E. G. Potapova. Gerbils of the world. Nauka, Moscow. 1990. *Research.usf.edu. "Gerbils". Retrieved December 6, 2007.
visit www. gerbils.co.uk for info it is the National Gerbil Society website.
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