Gerbils are very active, curious animals and provided great entertainment for older children and adults.
They do not smell as other rodents do (As long as you clean them out) because they produce minimum amounts of urine and faeces. If you provide them with enough food and water they can be left or a few days if you go away. They live for 2 - 4 years.
Where did they come from?
Gerbils live in hot deserts so are adapted to dry weather; they do not like humid condition as the water in the air reactions with the oils in their skin. Gerbil live wild in places like Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Often the species of a gerbil is given the name of the place it was found in, like the Mongolian Gerbil. See breeds+colours for further details.
How to keep them?
Gerbils are really social animals so if you have more then one it's a good idea to keep them in a multi-stacking system (remember to get the same sex). You can also keep them in hamster cages but you must make sure that their wheel is solid so they do not trap their tails. You should cover the floor of the cage with a good amount of wood shavings and add ample bedding material for them; they must be cleaned out regularly.
In the wild gerbils live in burrow so to recreate this, use a converted fish tank. Fill it with a good amount of wood shavings; add bedding, toys and tunnel then cover the top so they don't get out (You be surprised how far they jump).
Handling
You should let your gerbil settle down before trying to first pick it up, take to them and slowly put your hand flat inside the cage on the floor and allow your gerbil to sniff it. There is a lot of disagreement about how to pick a gerbil up, the first way is to cup your hands around it, and so you hold it gently but firmly. If you really can't catch him like that, then grab the BASE of his tail and lift him quickly into a supporting and more comfortable position. Do not hold him up in the air because if he escapes he could fall and hurt himself badly. Once tame gerbils love contact and you should try to spend half an hour a day (More if it's just one gerbil) with them.
Diet
It's important that you give them water and food every day. A basic gerbil and hamster mix is a good place to start. This contains seed and nut for the carbohydrates which give your pet it's energy, peanuts and sunflower seed which are fatty food (So be careful as your pet might get fat), there is also coloured biscuit meal, pellet. Greens and treats should be given about once a week, here the a list of things they can eat:
Vegetables
"Iceberg" lettuce
Cucumber
Carrot
Celery
Beetroot
Turnip
Fruit
hard pears
Berries e.g. Strawberries, raspberries, and grapes
Apple (stops females attacking their young)
Banana
Treats
Egg
Dog biscuit
Cooked meat
Cheese
Mealworms
Baked bread
Gnawing block
I advise great caution with these foods because if you feed too much, the animal will get diarrhoea, don't over do it! Plus do not feed the following to your pet: Hay, acidic fruits like Oranges or kiwi fruit (Chinese gooseberries). Be careful. Water should be given in a bottle with a stainless steel drinking tube and should be changed every day! It is a good idea to add a few vitamins drop to their water every few days (read the label), and a mineral stone will keep your pet healthy and his teeth in good condition as well.
