Chapter TwentyGerbils

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Gerbils Known for its handling, temperament,

environmental changes & low occurrence of natural diseases.

Gerbils = “jird” or “desert rat” Native to Mongolia & northeastern China. Used to study stroke & epilepsy.

Handling & Restraint Gently grasp base of tail & lift from cage.

Do not pick up by tip of the tail! Skin may tear off & expose vertebrae.

Cup both hands under & gently lift from cage. Restraint is similar to restraint used for a mouse.

Grasp loose skin at back of neck w/ thumb & index finger of other hand.

With back of gerbil in palm of your hand, grasp tail with little finger.

Physiological Data  Body temperature: 96.3°- 102.7°F  Heart rate: 260 - 600 / min  Respiratory rate: 70 -120 / min  Weight: adult 70 - 90 gm; newborn 3 gm  Water consumption: 3 - 6 ml / day or 4 - 7 ml /

100 gm body weight daily  Food consumption: 47 gm / day or 5 - 8 gm per

100 gm body weight daily  Feces/Urine: similar to mouse  Life span: 2 - 4 years

Sexing & Breeding Form monogamous pairs

Attempts to separate pairs to mate with another animal are unsuccessful & can result in fighting & death.

Establish breeding pairs before reach maturity. ID sex by anogenital distance, longer in male. Have a postpartum estrus. Sexual maturity: 70 - 84 days Estrous cycle: polyestrus (every 4 - 6 days) Gestation: 24 - 26 days Litter size: 4 - 5 Weaning: 21 days

Behavior Clean, docile and curious Desert animal & adapted to efficient use of water. Little odor compared to other rodents. “Cyclic activity” or intermittent periods of high-level

activity followed by periods of rest or sleep. Male and female have ventral marking gland. Foot stomping is a commonly heard sound.

integral part of the sex ritualalso a means of communicating danger

Approximately 20% have epileptic seizures.usually result of handling, loud noises or excitementappear to freeze, twitch or kick

Husbandry Housed in shoebox cages w/ contact bedding. Single & group housing systems both used. Also housed in suspended wire-bottom cages. Shoebox cages should be changed 1x/ wk. Shelving & cage racks should be sanitized at least

1x/ 2 wks, & pans cleaned at least 2x/ wk.

Diet Fed same rodent diet suitable for rats & mice. Drink very little water, but always provide.

Additional ReadingAnderson, R.S. and A.T.B Edney. Practical Animal Handling.

Pergamon Press, Oxford, UK. 1991.

Field, Karl, and Amber Sibold. The Laboratory Hamster and Gerbil. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. 1998.

Harkness, J.E. and J.E. Wagner. The Biology and Medicine of Rabbits and Rodents. Williams and Wilkins. 1995.

Hrapkiewicz, Karen, Leticia Medina, and Donald D. Holmes. Clinical Laboratory Animal Medicine: An Introduction, 2nd Ed. Iowa State University Press, Ames, IA. 1997.

Laber-Laird, K., M.M. Swindle, P. Flecknell, Handbook of Rodent and Rabbit Medicine. Pergamon Press, Oxford, UK. 1996.