>I just noticed in my boy tank that all four boys have
>lost most of their hair on the testicles. Is this a
>symptom of some illness? Otherwise they look and are
>acting normal.
They seem to 'defur' as they get older down there...my
blacks end up quite 'bare' by three months old...
The reason on almost all mammals the testes end up
at the surface of the skin or outside the main body, is
that sperm are heat sensitive. Too warm, and there
are problems. As the male gerbils get into their breeding
prime, it makes sense that the delicate problem of a
cooler than normal core temperature (usually 2-5 degrees
cooler is preferred across the board, mammal-wise)
would be aided by losing the fur (i.e., the insulation) in
that region.
So unless you catch the animal or a cagemate barbering
fur down there, it is nothing to worry about...or if the animal
starts losing hair elsewhere (such as ringworm)....
Deb
Rebel's Rodent Ranch
