Before buying a gerbil, you want to learn more about the pet’s physical attributes and behavior.
This knowledge is essential to understanding your friend and how to relate to him better.
I have discussed everything you need to know about a gerbil’s physical appearance and personality in this guide.
Keep reading to discover the least known attributes of this unique pet.
Gerbil’s Physical Appearance
Here are the physical characteristics of gerbils:
1. Size
On the outside, gerbils look a lot like rats. The head, body, and tail sizes range from 95 to 180 and 100 to 193 mm, respectively.
2. Weight
The average weight for females is 50–55 grams, whereas the average for males is 60 grams. The tail’s fur has a short base and progressively grows longer as it approaches the tip, giving it a slightly bushy appearance.
3. Color
The color of the upper portions ranges from clear and pale golden to sand and gray. Usually, the body’s sides are lighter than its rear.
The Mongolian gerbil has a variety of coat hues. An autosomal dominant gene determines the agouti’s wild coat color. The dorsal and ventral colors may be distinguished. An autosomal recessive gene exists in white albinos with red eyes and black gerbils.
Domestic gerbils come in various hues, such as black, cinnamon, white, lilac, and spotted variations of those hues.
4. Eyesight
Be aware of the gerbil’s tired appearance and coloring since he is always vigilant and has good peripheral vision. Gerbils have large, dark eyes that are less bulbous and projecting than other tiny rodents.
Gerbil’s Personality (Social Behavior)
Now, let’s look at the mysterious personality of gerbils. Here we go:
1. Reproduction and Upbringing
In between 70 and 84 days, male gerbils reach sexual maturity. Vaginal apertures appear in females between 40 and 60 days after conception, with an additional 30 days before sexual maturity.
All the gerbils are keen on protecting their young ones. Young gerbils learn to gather food independently as part of their survival training.
2. Chewing/Gnawing
Gerbils are small rodents with sharp claws that dig through the desert sand and chew all the tree trunks. They use these underground tunnels to avoid danger by blending in with the sand.
The ability of wild gerbils to build large networks of tunnels to hide and reproduce is well known. The gerbil will only come to the ground’s surface if it needs food and water.
3. Grooming
Gerbils frequently groom themselves and each other. Grooming is essential to their social interaction, and they enjoy the benefits of their coats.
They also like sand for a dust bath; they will roll and play in the sand, which helps clean the fur.
4. Thumping
Gerbils will do this to alert other gerbils when agitated or disturbed. Both hind legs are stomped on the ground to create a thumping sound. When one gerbil is startled, the rest of the gerbils in the enclosure or room may follow suit. Thumping is described as a fast “da-dum, da-dum” sound.
Depending on the urgency or significance, it fluctuates in loudness and pace. However, it may be pretty loud, considering the size of the creature that makes the sound.
Due to the contagious nature of the pounding, the gerbils may join in whenever any household activity results in a rhythmic thumping or clicking noise.
Even though young gerbils may thump quite a bit, this behavior is more of a learning exercise than a warning sign of danger. Another crucial component of the mating ritual is thumping.
5. Scent Marking
On their abdomen, gerbils have a smell gland that they use to mark objects in their territory. When gerbils rub their stomachs on their cages’ accessories, they merely delineate their region.
6. Territorial Marking
A sizable, androgen-dependent ventral abdominal marking gland is present in gerbils. It grows larger and starts to form earlier in males. The glands are in charge of territorial designation. After giving birth, females mark their territory and become more hostile.
7. Vigilance
Gerbils can remain vigilant on their rear legs, similar to prairie dogs. They can also leap more than 18 inches horizontally using those hind legs. When jumping, gerbils rely on their long, furry tails for stability.
8. Love Each Other’s Company
Because they are very social creatures, gerbils should be kept with other gerbils. Gerbils bonded in pairs or as families tend to be quite affectionate with one another. They will playfully chase each other during boxing and wrestling.
They will also groom one another, lie in mounds, and fight, though this can be difficult to distinguish from typical wrestling or boxing play.
One of the animals will frequently appear distressed; it will squeak loudly. It may be heard, and the activity will be more intense and violent than play.
Final Thoughts
Gerbils make great pets if you’re searching for a little, low-maintenance furry friend. They are intelligent beings that recognize their owners and can be safely held captive by following simple guidelines.
It would be best to hold them for a short period because they are easily stressed.
