Gerbil journal2

1/17/98 I think Cookie might be ready to start a family (Born October 30,1997).Several of the males seem to be interested in her.

I gave Creamy,Nutty and the cousins a piece of bagel and a grape to see if they like it.Creamy is usually the first one to taste new food items.Not everyone ate the grape or the bagel,only Creamy and several others did.I didn't see if Nutty ate.Perhaps,he did after I left.

There are no pieds with blazes in Sunkist and Oreos new litter of 7 (1/10/98).On 8/2 they had 1 [Keebler],on 10/30 they had 0 [Cookie doesnt have a full blaze],on 12/2 they had 2 [Little Oreo and Nabisco].

1/20/98 I gave the gerbils a quarter size peice of tomato and everyone liked it.They looked like they were playing football.A gerbil would run away with the tomato and then stop to eat it only to have someone else grab it and run away.Finally,everyone ate some.

The babies in Sunkist and Oreos new litter are growing.I might keep a daughter with Sunkist and a son with Oreo to prevent any more litters.

1/21/98 Creamy and Nutty have new siblings.Their parents Honey-Pie and Nutmeg, had six babies today.Visit their web page "Gerbil City".

1/27/98 Oreos and Sunkist babies are seventeen days old and their eyes are begining to open.They are easily startled, and the slightest noise has them running about the aquairium. At this age,they are begining to manipulate items in their paws.Over the next few days, everything they pick up will get nibbled on.This is how baby gerbils learn what is edible or not.

1/30/98 Oreos babies are starting to eat foods held in their paws.They have been eating Cherrios,Corn flakes,and Rice crispies.Their water bottle has been lowered to make it easier for them to drink.Tomorrow they will be 3 weeks old.

I am looking foward to Cookie having babies because she is aaCCEeGGPpSpsp and when mated to aaCCEeGGPpSpsp[Nabisco],aaCCEeGGPp[Pookie],aaCCeeGGPpSpsp [Nutty],or AaCCeeGGppSpsp[Creamy],The following colors are possible with or without the spotted/pied gene:Agouti,DEH, Argente golden, REH, Black, Nutmeg, LIlac, and Red fox. I would like to keep a Lilac pied,a Red fox,and maybe a REH with Creamy,Nutty,Nabisco,and Pookie.

In Gerbil society, there is only one breeding female and the twenty gallon had several females. So to avoid problems; Little oreo,Inky,Arrow1,Arrow2,Pierre,and Blackie went to "Parrots of the world" pet shop.This is an excellent pet shop.They take very good care of all their animals.It is always clean and it never smells.The staff are always friendly and willing to help you.

Now Creamy,Nutty,Pookie,Nabisco,and Cookie are in the twenty gallon aquarium.Hopefully,they will help Cookie raise her babies and the males won't fight.

This picture of Honey-pie and Nutmeg came from "Gerbil City".

2/2/98 Cookie had 3 babies today.Making Sunkist and Oreo grandparents.If Creamy or Nutty is the father then Honey- pie and Nutmeg (with Kitt at "Gerbil City") are the other grandparents.

2/3/98 Cookies babies are still alive.Sometimes small litters dont survive. I now have another aquairum for Creamy, Pookie and Nabisco.Yesterday,Creamy was chasing Nutty and vise versa.I took Nutty,Pookie,and Nabisco out of the Twenty gallon leaving Cookie with Creamy.As I watched them, I noticed something was wrong.Creamy would chase Cookie but not mate then Cookie would chase Creamy then mount him.Finally, I took Creamy out and put Nutty in with Cookie .They drummed and mated right away. This continued for a while. Sunkist and Oreos babies are 24 days old.They are able to eat but I havent seen them drink from the water bottle yet.

2/4/98 One of Oreos babies was found dead.:o( The baby was under the shavings,no apparent injuries were found.

2/11/98 Cookie and Nutty's babies are 9 days old.Two of them are Nutmeg pied. One is Black.I will keep the male nutmeg pied and name him Wally. [Short for walnut, as suggested by Kitt.]They are listed on the Gerbil family tree part two.

2/14/98 Sunkist and Oreo's babies are now 5 weeks old.They were born January 10,1998.

2/19/98 Nutty's and Cookie's black baby opened his eyes today at 17 days old..All the gerbils were given paper and cardboard to shred.Sunkist is getting plump again.

2/21/98 Oreo and Sunkist had 5 babies today.Nutty's and Cookie's babies eyes are opened.

2/27/98 Cookie was driving away Wally,Nutmeg pied female gerbil baby and Black gerbil baby so they went to live with Creamy,Nabisco and Pookie.Nutmeg pied female baby has a hurt paw.She holds her foot up when she walks.Sunkist and Oreos litter from 1/10/98 is with them also.

3/1/98 Cookie is getting plump.Oreo and Sunkist babies born 2/21/98 are 3 black and 2 pied/spotted.

3/4/98 Cookie had her 2nd litter of babies today.I think there are 5 babies.I'll check again in a few days.Sunkist has 2 black pied/spotted and 3 black babies.

3/6/98 There are 5 babies in Cookies litter and I think one is pink eyed. Today I added extra litter and paper (discarded mail and bathroom tissues) to Creamy's tank for burrowing.So far they burrow under the can toy,but have not made tunnels.

3/9/98 Sunkist and Oreos babies opened their eyes today [Born-2/21/98] at 16 days old.I still can't tell what color Cookies pink eyed baby is.

3/10/98 Cookie has 4 pied/spotted Nutmegs and 1 spotted Red fox.

3/11/98 Wally' sister is ok now.She was taken to the pet shop with her brother and 6 aunt/uncles.(Born 1/10/98)

3/13/98 I have sad news.When I checked on Sunkist and Oreo today Sunkist was laying on her side and her babies were nursing.When I looked closer, I noticed that Sunkist wasnt moving.I touched her she didnt move.Sunkist went to gerbil heaven :o( .I buried her in my backyard.Her babies are only 20 days old,I hope they will make it.Cookies spotted red fox baby will be paired to a black pied male from this litter.

3/14/98 I tried to foster the babies with Cookie.She would not accept her baby brothers and sisters.Hopefully, they will be alright with their father Oreo.In addition to their regular food I fed the babies bread,crackers,baby cereal,mealworms,cut up carrots, and celery.

3/17/98 the babies are 24 days old .I think they will be ok.:o) They are eating and drinking from the water bottle.They also run and play together.

3/21/98 Happy News...:o) The babies are 4 weeks old now and they are doing great. Yesterday,I moved them out of the 10 gallon and put them into the 15 gallon.Now they have more room to play.

If I decide to keep the male black pied baby. He will be named "Waifer" like the cookie and cause he was orphaned.This name was suggested by Ms Wiz from the Gerbil mailing list.If I keep any others I will name them Newton as in Fig Newton,McVite (a large biscut company in the United Kindom) or Nilla.Several people on the list suggested these names.

Creamy,Wally,Pookie,and Nabisco are in the ten gallon and have finally made a burrow.They werent making tunnels in the 15 gallon,maybe it was taking too long for the paper to mix with the shavings.

One of Cookie's and Nutty's babies opened one eye yesterday at 16 days old.The others will open their eyes today.Everyone was given a piece of banana today.The only one I saw eat some was Nabisco.

4/5/98 Creamy ,Pookie, Nabisco, and Wally are still in the ten gallon. Sometimes, they will make burrows.

Oreo and Sunkist's last litter is now 6 weeks old :o). Cookie and Nutty are still taking care of their 4 1/2 week old babies.Perhaps, Cookie will have another litter soon? She isnt big this time. I hope she doesnt have a litter of 2. Small litters usually dont survive.

4/7/98 Cookie is starting to get plump.

4/8/98 Cookie looks like she is due any moment.I can see babies moving.I hope I get a lilac pied. she has not driven away any of the older babies.This is good because they can learn parenting skills by observing and helping her.

4/8/98 Cookie had 7 babies today.I was suprised she had this many. She looked small and breeding pied to pied involves a lethal gene.

4/14/98 I think there might be 1 or 2 pink eyed babies in the litter. Some of the babies are pied, Now I only count 6 :o(

Gerbil Journal p.3

Gerbils I used to have.

This is Willy the male in my first pair of gerbils.I received Willy and Nelly for a present many many years ago.

< p> These are Willy and Nelly's babies.

Record of gerbil litters from Willy and Nelly.

3/27/76 ~ 2 babies ~ 1 male,1 female.
4/29/76 ~ 5 babies ~ 1 male, 4 females.
6/5/76 ~ 5 babies ~ 1 male, 4 females.
7/18/76 ~ 6 babies [given away before gender could be determined]
8/31/76 ~ 5 babies ~ 2 males, 3 females,[1 female died,1 female born with a 1 inch short tail,She was named Short tail.]