Introduction to Gerbils

Gerbils are social creatures and enjoy living in a community environment. In their feral state, gerbils work together to gather food to last through the winter months and stay within the same burrow until spring.

Mongolian Gerbils are native to dry, arid regions of Asia, where the only moisture available might be early morning dew on plants and seeds. As a result, gerbils have developed a digestion system that uses water so efficiently that only small quantities of concentrated urine and dry fecal matter are passed.

Some gerbils enjoy an occasional dust bath, which can be accomplished by placing a thin layer of commercially-available chinchilla dust in a small bin or house made for this purpose.

Some gerbils are prone to epileptic seizures. These seizures are of short duration with no apparent effects.

to view a series of pop-up boxes that further explain appropriate gerbil care.