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Post by Downtown Gerbils! on Apr 16, 2014 13:01:04 GMT -8
Ok so i have a group of four male gerbils 1 mottled black(unrelated), and 3 Burmese(related). They live in a 20 gallon long filled with aspen bedding and cardboard almost the top, and they are all best friends i cant take one out without the rest of them jumping and making a fuss that wont stop till I put the gerbil back , i noticed today that ALL three Burmese boys have a square where they have no hair on the bridge of their wee little noses but they don't look upset or uncomfortable. Are the 3 brothers allergic to the bedding? because other wise they are all large males equal in size and they all share a nest. (the mottled black has no patch only the 3 Burmese which makes me think the 3 share the same genetic allergic trait that got passed down  ) |
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Post by Shooting Star on Apr 16, 2014 14:23:09 GMT -8
If the area isn't inflamed, it's more likely that your Mott Black is barbering (since he's the only one without missing fur). They may not have enough space; 20g for 4 adult males is pretty tight.
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Post by Downtown Gerbils! on Apr 16, 2014 14:33:12 GMT -8
If the area isn't inflamed, it's more likely that your Mott Black is barbering (since he's the only one without missing fur). They may not have enough space; 20g for 4 adult males is pretty tight. is barbering bad? is it aggressive behavior? |
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Post by Downtown Gerbils! on Apr 16, 2014 14:35:52 GMT -8
they group is my avatar picture and the mottled black is now smaller then them(he was a bigger pup) and thats what surprising me that they let him do that
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Post by Shooting Star on Apr 16, 2014 14:43:50 GMT -8
Barbering is when a gerbil over-grooms one spot enough that the fur is removed. It's usually a stress response, you see it a lot with overcrowding. Gerbils can barber themselves or others-- since you're seeing hair loss on the face, if it is barbering, then the one without the patch is the culprit (can't reach his own face). Doesn't mean he's aggressive, just stressed about something.
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Post by Downtown Gerbils! on Apr 16, 2014 15:02:12 GMT -8
Barbering is when a gerbil over-grooms one spot enough that the fur is removed. It's usually a stress response, you see it a lot with overcrowding. Gerbils can barber themselves or others-- since you're seeing hair loss on the face, if it is barbering, then the one without the patch is the culprit (can't reach his own face). Doesn't mean he's aggressive, just stressed about something. ok thank you, i might see if i can get a larger tank, also i did not notice any missing hair when i left last week for a trip and they were being cared for by a friend for the time i was gone and maybe the she was a bit to rough with them or moving the tanks because i saw the bald patch when i came home  |
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Post by johanne on Apr 17, 2014 0:12:02 GMT -8
Long term your best bet is probably going to be to get a second 20 gallon tank. Put 2 gerbils in each. A group of 4 adult males is likely to declan eventually anyway. Gerbils aren't likely to lose hair on account of being moved.
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Post by Downtown Gerbils! on Apr 17, 2014 6:13:30 GMT -8
Long term your best bet is probably going to be to get a second 20 gallon tank. Put 2 gerbils in each. A group of 4 adult males is likely to declan eventually anyway. Gerbils aren't likely to lose hair on account of being moved. Ok ,i will thank you! |
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