A typical mongolian gerbil diet consists of fresh vegetables, fruit, and whole grains. It should also contain a small amount of meat and bone meal, which is an excellent source of protein and calcium. The animal is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a gentle but hardy pet. The Mongolian gerbil first arrived in France in the 19th century and quickly became a popular house pet in the city. In 1954, Dr. Victor Schwentker brought the species to the United States. His success helped to establish its status as a pet, and by 1964, the species was also imported to the UK and United States. Today, these little critters are available in pet shops across the United States and UK.
Contents
Feeding a gerbil
Feeding a Mongolian gerbal is similar to feeding a rat or a mouse. A high-fat diet can lead to obesity, increased cholesterol levels, and heart disease. High-fat diets can also cause sterility in female gerbils. High-protein diets can cause liver damage, kidney stones, and skin lesions. A low-protein diet can stunt the growth of young gerbils.
When feeding a Mongolian gerbil, you should avoid foods high in sugar or fat. It should also be given at least twice a week. The cage should be cleaned at least two times a week. Moreover, the Mongolian gerbil’s body temperature and body condition are closely related to its food intake. In addition, Mongolian gerbils are very social animals and tend to display affection to their owners.
Water bottles are important for your pet. Besides food, they should have constant access to water. You should choose a heavy, ceramic food bowl so that your gerbil doesn’t knock it over. Alternatively, you can buy a metal sipper tube. Just remember that gerbils do not drink much water. And don’t forget to change their water bowls regularly. If you don’t want to buy expensive bottles, you can buy the gerbil food bowls from online pet stores.
Split cage method
Before you introduce your new gerbil to its new environment, you should make sure the dividers are securely installed. It will be necessary to watch both gerbils closely, as they will be aggressive towards each other if the dividers are not correctly installed. Ideally, you should introduce the new gerbil to its new home after about a week of separation. If you’re not sure how to introduce a new gerbil to its new environment, you should do it gradually over a week. After this period, you should observe if your gerbils are ready for a new environment.
If you’d prefer your gerbil to have a companion, try the split-cage method. In this method, you place one male gerbil in one half of the cage while the other stays in the other. The male will chase the female once it perceives her provocation. This process takes between three and seven days, and the gerbils must be swapped every few hours.
Nutritional needs
There are several different ways to meet the nutrition needs of a Mongolian gerbil. The best method is to feed them a mixture of pellets and loose mixes. Pellets are small pieces of food and lab blocks are larger chunks of food. These are often called lab blocks and resemble small biscuits. Gerbils do not drink a lot of water, so they do not need a lot of it. You can also give them treats on occasion. Fresh vegetables and fruits are fine to feed them once a day. Fresh fruits are also appropriate but should be fed much less often and in small amounts.
The nutrition of old MGs is not known, but it is associated with changes in brain morphology and metabolism. It is also unclear whether dietary interventions can improve age-related brain function. In this study, 72 old gerbils were divided into two groups: a group on the 2-OX+PLEM diet and a control group on a standard diet. The treatment period was five months, which was considered enough to affect brain morphology and behavior.
Behavior
A typical Mongolian gerbil diet is full of grasses, such as lyme grass, saltwort, and bristle grass. They also consume seeds and other desert vegetation. As a result, their diet is rich in water. In addition, they also eat grains and fruits. As their natural diet is composed of green vegetation, they can get adequate amounts of water through the foliage. Nevertheless, you should not overfeed your pet.
A recent study showed that the Mongolian gerbil prefers unprofitable food sources with hidden or visible food. The researchers conducted four experiments in which the gerbils were given a choice of seeds with and without husks, food bowls that changed place, and food glued to sticks. In the final phase, the environment was reversed and the food bowls were flipped so the gerbils could see both types of food. Interestingly, they also preferred the food glued on sticks.
