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Post by conniew on Mar 31, 2024 16:09:28 GMT -8
Do any of your gerbils make large craters in the bedding for entrances into their tunnels? Mine have two large craters, one on each end of the tank leading to different ends of their tunneling system.
I watched a documentary talking about gerbils in the wild and they could see the entrances to the tunnels from space?!!! Maybe this is common....
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Post by betty on Apr 2, 2024 10:17:49 GMT -8
A giant concave entrance allows them to run into their shelter at full pelt when being chased - this is most likely the optimal shape for an underground tunnel entrance in a flat featureless landscape. A bit like those swirly charity things where your coin rolls all the way around the circle 10 times before falling in the hole.
They know their physics!
Do you live near a lot of seagulls or other flocks of birds just out of interest?
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Post by conniew on Apr 2, 2024 10:22:03 GMT -8
A giant concave entrance allows them to run into their shelter at full pelt when being chased - this is most likely the optimal shape for an underground tunnel entrance in a flat featureless landscape. A bit like thoer swirly charity things where yours coin rolls all the way around the circle 10 times before falling in the hole. They know their physics! Do you live near a lot of seagulls or other flocks of birds just out of interest? Good point about the entrance to their burrows....I live in Phoenix, AZ in the middle of the desert. No seagulls, but we have hawks and eagles and various other small birds. This is interesting to me as I recently got a hamster too. Understanding the differences between the two is a fun learning experience. |
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Post by betty on Apr 2, 2024 10:26:22 GMT -8
I lived in a place once where there were ALWAYS seagulls gliding past the windows and in summer every shadow caused a panic. I ended up keeping the curtains closed most of the summer to stop all the dashing about.
What hamster? I certainly understand that syrians are very much more laid back about things as they know they can defend themselves. But I must admit, I haven't had a syrian for many many years...
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Post by conniew on Apr 2, 2024 20:23:02 GMT -8
I lived in a place once where there were ALWAYS seagulls gliding past the windows and in summer every shadow caused a panic. I ended up keeping the curtains closed most of the summer to stop all the dashing about. What hamster? I certainly understand that syrians are very much more laid back about things as they know they can defend themselves. But I must admit, I haven't had a syrian for many many years... We got a Robo dwarf hamster. I know nothing about hamsters.....like I knew nothing about gerbils when we got Coco and Cream, but the wonderful people on forums are so very helpful! We probably should have gotten a Syrian, but like I said we got the hamster before doing proper research, but he is so very cute. I am in the process if getting a larger proper size cage for him and getting it set up for him. Hamsters are so different in their cage needs. |
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Post by betty on Apr 3, 2024 7:39:43 GMT -8
Yes indeed - hamster enclosures have come a very long way since I used to work in the pet trade. I keep fat-tailed gerbils (duprasi) which are very similar in enclosure needs to dwarf hamsters and they do look quite similar too when young (apart from the tail, obvs) so I certainly am looking to learn more about them to see if anything can be repurposed with my duprasi.
But like you say - hamsters and Mongolian gerbils certainly have quite different enclosure requirements. Especially with the height, you have to go much wider with hamsters to give them the floor space they need - but at least gerbils can go up as well.
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Post by conniew on Apr 3, 2024 9:29:45 GMT -8
Yes indeed - hamster enclosures have come a very long way since I used to work in the pet trade. I keep fat-tailed gerbils (duprasi) which are very similar in enclosure needs to dwarf hamsters and they do look quite similar too when young (apart from the tail, obvs) so I certainly am looking to learn more about them to see if anything can be repurposed with my duprasi. But like you say - hamsters and Mongolian gerbils certainly have quite different enclosure requirements. Especially with the height, you have to go much wider with hamsters to give them the floor space they need - but at least gerbils can go up as well. Yes, I agree, I have learned that hamsters need more floor space and more height. Toppers are not really that good for hamsters. Gerbils are so much more able to jump and climb better I think. I am still not that familiar with hamsters as our little Dusty is rarely seen. I hope he will come out more when he has a proper set up. I don't know but I like gerbils may be faster moving than hamsters too. Both are very fascinating little creatures. |
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Post by betty on Apr 6, 2024 9:55:30 GMT -8
Absolutely - definitely more watchable. Gerbils are very nosy and so will almost always come and investigate anything new in their enclosures - so they can be woken at any time by you adding a new 'thing' and waiting for them to come out...
They also can get quite determined in a task and spend quite some time completing it - often in full view.
I think we all call it 'gerbil TV'.
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