You've been so kind responding to my previous questions. Now I have
three more. :-)
1. sand: I've read in a number of places that gerbils enjoy rolling
about in sand, and that such behavior helps them keep their coats
healthy. I purchased a small package of sand tonight from a pet supply
store. The sales person tried to sell me an expensive container of
chinchilla dust, but I thought the gerbils might have respiratory
problems if I used that, so I stuck with the sand. I placed the sand in
a cleaned peanut butter jar with a coat hanger protruding from either
end so that I could suspend it horizontally from the roof of the cage.
I carved away the upper half of the lid as an entrance. Both adults
have been inside the jar now. Do you see any potential problems with
this arrangement? Would you recommend the chinchilla dust over sand?
If so, why?
2. strange female behavior: As I mentioned in another posting, my
gerbils now have 7 pups to care for. They'll be a week old tomorrow
morning (or tonight?). The nest is in a back corner of the cage.
Tonight, the mother exhibited the stereotypical "burrowing" behavior in
that corner, but she seemed to have little regard for the safety of the
pups. Her digging was so vigorous that several pups were actually
kicked through the air to a distance of 5 inches from the nest! Another
pup was caught between her and the wall for about 12 seconds and
squeaked with her every kick. The nest was totally broken apart...pups
lying about on the bedding everywhere. She ran off to another part of
the cage without retrieving the pups, but most of them crawled back
toward the corner. THEN she came back and did the whole routine AGAIN!
I checked on them about twenty minutes ago and none of the pups seem to
have sustained injury, but I'm wondering if this is typical behavior.
If not, what measure do you suggest I take?
3. labelling conventions: I gather that the word "clan" is commonly
used to refer to an extended gerbil family. What other names are used
for gerbils? Are females called "does" and males "bucks"? Or "ewes"
and "bucks"? "Cows" and "bulls"? etc... Is there any agreement on
this?
Thanks again for your help. Since this is such a long message,
responses should probably only quote enough of it to make the responses
intelligible.
-Jeremy
