"Thumper" Turned Over New Leaf???

[Shelley and Don]

Just writing to talk about one of my gerbs that does that "bite and hold" thing. She seems to have stopped (biting) & I don't know why. She has been a "hand attacker" since she was tiny & since then she's got some great bites in on my finger tips in while I have had my hand in her cage. Right now she has a litter and she is a very good mother to them... also has 3 older pups I let stay in the cage with her (and the father of course). We recently have been taking her out as she started jumping up in the air (especially like 2 weeks before the birth of her latest litter) & I thought she looked "antsy" & I know she has always liked the wheel when she was tiny so I put on gloves and took her out and put her in a play area with a wheel for a while. She runs fast and hard -- very cute -- one of the cutest things about her besides that she is also adorable to look at (looks can be deceiving!) Then I put her back with the others after about 20 min. She didn't seem to want to go back, but didn't bite. The next day she seemed to look forward to "getting out" for a bit and so on and so on. When coming out of the cage there was no chase or anything or having to use a jar for her to climb into... .she willingly climbed up into my hand to go for her "ride" out. Today I was daring and just put my hand in the cage to see if she would jump out at me and attack... she chewed my knuckle once & then seemed to give up and just "let me go". I haven't bothered her pinkies much (they are about a week old now) & even if I did, she has never seemed upset about that to the point where she would take it out on her pups (a "good thing"). The Daddy is a good guy... he is very passive and never bitten. The babies seem to be good and smart, curious, happy little cuties -- all of them. I am wondering what's the deal here? Is it possible she could change and turn into a "good" gerbil? And if she has, can I trust her forever or should I watch my hand while in the cage. I have just figured that she was one of those "mental" gerbs that got it from her Mom (also bit) & I would just keep her as I wouldn't want anyone else to take her and get hurt... and that we would always leave her be. Any thoughts on this? I know it's been talked about before... the topic of biting gerbils, I mean.   Shelley