The Mongolian Gerbil was discovered by a French Missionary by the name of Pere David in the 1860's. In the 1930's, the first attempt to capture and breed wild Mongolian Gerbils was done by Professor Kasugo of Japan. In the 1950's the gerbils were imported into the United States by Dr. Victor Schwentker for research and in the 1960's they were imported into the UK. By the 1970's gerbils grew in favortism and became a favorite pet in many countries. Now in the 2000's, gerbils are not only still a favorite pet, but their color spectrum has grown widley from the standard wild type, Golden Agouti to the Blue (discovered in Germany in 1998).
Gerbils are a social animal, meaning, they need a companion and, like all animals, alot of attention and love. In the wild, gerbils live in underground communities (similar to Prarie Dogs). In captivity, gerbils still need to live in a type of community. Gerbils can live in same sex communities or uni-sex communties. Males are less aggressive than females and you can have have up to four living together. When it comes to females, it is best to stick with two and no more than three. If you decide on a male and female, keep it one to one. Also, be prepared to have little baby gerbils within a month or two and be sure to go about it responsibly.
Welcome to the wonderful world of Mongolian Gerbils! |
