Meriones unguiculatus - You have a great warrior in your midst! Your gerbil is a mammal belonging to the order of the Rodentia and the family Cricetidae. There are many species of gerbils, over 80 of which have been identified. Chances are you have the most common type, called the Mongolian gerbil. The scientific name is actually meriones unguiculatus, which when translated from Latin means "little clawed warrior" or "warrior with fingernails." You can probably see how well this translation physically describes your gerbil. This name, however, can be a little misleading, since your gerbil is known as the most docile of small furry pets.

The Mongolian gerbil is the type of gerbil most commonly found in most pet stores. Your gerbil probably weighs between four and five ounces, and will grow to just under six inches long. Mongolian gerbils tend to be "agouti" in color, meaning golden brown with black tipped fur. This gerbil sports a long-furred tail with a tuft of fur at the end. There are other gerbils you may run across, however, they will be harder to find, not quite as friendly as the Mongolian gerbil and will be more expensive.

Other Gerbils You May Find

• Libyan Gerbil: Larger than a Mongolian gerbil, it is more aggressive. It grows to approximately eight inches long.
• Egyptian Gerbil: Smaller in size than the Mongolian, it will grow to only three inches in length. It has a compact and slender body, much like that of a rat. This gerbil is a prolific breeder.
• Indian Gerbil: This gerbil measures about two inches in length and has no fur on the pads of its feet. Careful, this one tends to be a nasty biter.
• Jerusalem Gerbil: A little larger than the Mongolian, its coloring is more red. Watch out, this gerbil is reputed to have a nasty disposition!
• Namib Paeba Gerbil: Often called the "Snow Shoe" gerbil, this one has very large hind feet. It grows to only about three inches.
• Przewalski's Gerbil: One of the largest known gerbils, this one measures approximately eight inches in length. It has thick, coarse fur with hairless forelimbs. Overall, this breed more closely resembles a rat, with a heavy body and short tail.

What's The Difference?

Mongolian gerbils are small, typically white-bellied, agouti-colored rodents found in Africa, Central Asia, India and the Middle East. These gerbils have enlarged front and hind legs, enabling them to be very skillful jumpers. You may want to remember this while you are handling your gerbil, so you can keep him low to the ground or near a soft place, such as a couch or chair. You don't want your pet jumping from a height and injuring himself! This combination of large hind feet and long tail enables your gerbil to balance himself as he stands upright. You may think your gerbil resembles other rodents, but they are actually very different.

Comparison To Other Rodents

• Rat: With only have a few scattered hairs on its tail, it is difficult to confuse a rat's tail with your gerbil's furry one. Rats are larger than your gerbil and have round and slightly bulging eyes.
• Mouse: A mouse is smaller than your gerbil, with a differently shaped head and ears, smaller eyes and a sparsely haired tail.
• Hamster: This animal is larger than your gerbil, but has a shorter tail and smaller eyes. Not a social animal, it prefers a solitary life - unlike your highly sociable gerbil.

Now that you know the differences between your gerbil and other rodents, aren't you glad you chose your gerbil? In fact, you should have two gerbils! They are highly sociable and enjoy the companionship of another gerbil as well as all the attention and love you might bestow upon them.

Pet of Distinction

In addition to his sociability, there are other distinctions that make your gerbil an ideal pet. You have no doubt noticed that your gerbil is an extremely clean animal. Gerbils continually groom themselves and their roommate gerbils. They are almost odorless. Your gerbil will rarely bite because he has a non-aggressive fright and flight mechanism, which is not easily provoked or stimulated. Your gerbil will appear to be more curious than scared. While noises tend to send rats, mice and hamsters scurrying for cover, your gerbil will probably be standing on his hind legs wondering what is going on? Your gerbil is very active and friendly. Your Mongolian gerbil is diurnal, and will have bouts of endless energy throughout the day, and perhaps the night, separated by naps in between. These short naps or rest periods may last for a few hours, then your pets will awaken refreshed and ready to take on the world again.

Roommates

Naturally, your gerbil will depend on you to provide the basic necessities like clean and adequate housing, food, water, general care and love. Other than that, your gerbil will require very little time from you. Gerbils crave companionship, which is easily satisfied by welcoming another gerbil as his roommate. When selecting a roommate for your gerbil, you will want to get two gerbils of the same sex, at the same time, preferably five to six weeks old, and from the same litter. Since gerbils are somewhat territorial, you should try to get gerbils at this early age and from the same litter. Because they know each other's scent, they will already think of themselves as family and are not at all threatened.

Introductions

Should you decide that you now want a roommate for your single gerbil, there are many ways to introduce a new gerbil into your household. You must get your second gerbil before your first is ten weeks old. Your second gerbil must be no more than seven weeks old. This is because they are still young enough not to have learned to be too territorial... yet. When introducing one gerbil to another, there are two methods of introduction. One is a split cage method where you will need to divide your gerbils' home into two sections. A divider or barrier must separate the two halves and the two gerbils, making sure they can see and smell each other, but not get to each other to scratch or bite. You will swap your gerbils from side to side every few hours for about 3 days to one week. At the end of that time, they should be used to each other's scent and should get along with each other just fine. Sometimes this process must be repeated. If this method does not work, you can try masking the scent of each gerbil. You will place a strong odor, like perfume or vanilla on each of your gerbil's noses, and as the scent wears off, they will gradually become accustomed to the other scents. There is no guarantee that these methods will be 100% effective, however, there is a good chance of success. As stated previously, it is better to get two gerbils at the same time from the same litter.

When introducing two gerbils that have not been together before, it is always a good idea to quarantine the new gerbil for a few days to make sure he shows no sign of disease. Keep your new gerbil in a location, separate from your other gerbil, and watch him for a few days. If he is active and curious, and he seems bright eyed with a nice shiny coat and eats well, you probably have a very healthy gerbil and it is safe to begin the introductions.

Breeding

If you are intending to breed your gerbil, you want to pick a male and a female, from the same litter, before they reach sexual maturity, which is around nine to ten weeks old. They will mate with each other without much assistance from you. Your female gerbil will be in heat ever four to ten days until they are 15 to 20 months old. During her breeding life, your female gerbil can produce up to ten litters, with an average litter size of five pups. Whether you have two same sex gerbils or opposite sex gerbils, they will relish in having a partner with which to play, sleep, cuddle and groom...and breed with, if that is your intent. Your gerbils can breed at any time of the year, although they are most sexually active during the summer months.

Eating Out of the Palm of Your Hand

Did you know that you could tame your gerbil? Yes, with a little patience, some tasty morsels and a soothing voice, you will soon win your gerbil's trust. If you have never picked up your gerbil, it is recommended that you let it first become accustomed to your scent. You can accomplish this by putting your hand in the cage, fist balled so your pet will not identify your fingers as tasty morsels. Don't be scared, because your gerbil will rarely, if ever, bite. With your fist balled, let him come to you and sniff. Repeat putting your hand in their home like this a few times. Next, extend the palm of your hand into their home, with a tasty treat, like a raisin or piece of cheese. Soon, he will be coming up and taking that treat right from your hand. If he appears shy at first, don't worry; his innate curiosity will get the best of him and he will eventually be so nosy that he won't be able to resist. He will then associate your scent as something good and will soon need no coaxing to come to you.

Out of the Cage

Once in your hand, you can scoop him up from the side or underneath and gently cup your hands around him. When taking him out of the cage, remember that he is a jumper and very quick. Make sure he does not jump from your hands and injure himself. You may find that you can safely carry him around in your shirt pocket. Gerbils make great pocket pets. NEVER PUT YOUR GERBIL IN YOUR PANTS POCKET! Also, when taking your gerbil out of the cage, you will want to make sure that the room you are in has all the doors shut so if he does escape, he won't be able to go far. Always speak to your gerbil in a soothing tone of voice. Screaming will do neither one of you any good and will add stress! Stress can lead to illness, so whether handling or feeding your pet, exude calmness and patience. You have a wonderfully curious pet that will be ecstatic to be out of his cage or aquarium exploring!

After taking a few precautions, you can even let your gerbil run throughout the room. Ideally, a long hallway with all the doors shut would be the best place to let your gerbil stretch his legs. If a hallway is not available, select a room where you can close all of the doors, remove any potentially dangerous plants or chemicals and have no other animals present. If you do let your gerbil run loose in the room, be prepared for him to hide in places where you may need to search for him, like under furniture. If you do let your gerbil out, and can't seem to catch him, you can bring his cage in and open the cage door. Eventually he will probably return and walk right into his home. If not, a tasty morsel can bribe him just as easily.

Not Outdoors

Even though your gerbil is an explorer, it is not recommended that you take your gerbil outside. It may be very difficult to catch him, and there are many hazards such as poisonous plants and other animals who could cause injury to him.

The Importance of Routine

Keeping your gerbil on a routine will help him be a happier and healthier pet. Never abruptly change his eating routine. If you are changing his food, because of an allergy or illness, gradually introduce small amounts over time. If your pet is unaccustomed to a particular food, he may be reluctant to eat it. This may lead to stress or not eating at all, which may lead to illness. Eating at specific times of the day can also be beneficial. You may want to experiment to determine what time is best for you to feed your gerbil. Monitor your gerbils eating habits throughout the day to see when he appears the hungriest, then continue to feed him at that time everyday. Make it easy on your pet as well as easy on you.

Establishing a routine in the way you pick up and handle your gerbil is also important. Always handle your pet gently with love and care. Should your behavior change in the way you handle your gerbil, he will likely sense this, and it could cause stress. NEVER restrain your gerbil on its back, he might panic! Try to remain on a stress-free routine that is convenient for both of you.

Instinctive Gerbil Behavior

• Highly sociable - enjoys the companionship of another gerbil as well as his owner.
• Gnawing - helps his incisor teeth from growing too long to be functional.
• Scratching - keeps his claws relatively short.
• Docile - is not easily frightened.
• Curious - is not easily frightened, explores everything.
• Active - has boundless energy between resting periods, NOT nocturnal.
• Grooming - using their teeth, tongue and sometimes claws, they keep themselves very clean.
• Burrower - shows nesting instinct.

Other Interesting Gerbil Behavior

• Touches noses with other gerbils - a form of greeting
• Licking - licking his cage or aquariums is an indication of thirst.
• Thumping - signifies danger or sexual excitement.
• Eye winking - will wink when get treats, a sign of pleasure or gratitude. If you blink, your gerbil may blink back at you!
• Purring - a vibration only, not an audible noise, a sign of feeling comfortable.

You have a loving, friendly, innately curious pet, which can provide you with hours of entertainment as well as love. Your gerbil will not only bond with his roommate, but also with you, as you routinely feed, handle and love your pet.