flips?

[dory]

hey.. i have 4 gerbils. ,my 2 boys are younger and crazy. is it normal for them to do back flips? they go from sitting still to fliping around.sometimes hanging on the mesh lid of the tank..
just wondering if thats normal.. the girls dont do it and seem more calm.
thanks
dory

[esztershine]

Your two boys, what size of tank they live in? Do you let them out? How deep is their bedding? Are they tame? Are they from the same litter/breeder as the girls?
If it is 'fun' they do it for, best Is if they have deep bedding so when they fall, they land on soft bedding not hurting themselves.
I have never had gerbils doing flips, but If I recall correctly few people had (Matt I think), and I guess it was a personality related issue. If both do it, it could be they learn from one another or maybe a genetic nerve problem? Only guessing
My Burmy jumps on top of the water bottle and makes noises to get my attention as in 'I want to come out' so I know they need fun time to strech their legs. So maybe It could be a sign they need time out?

[crazy4gerbils]

My Percy used to do flips in his tank. I'm almost possitive its just something that some gerbils do, and others don't.

[brighttreegerbils]

Indeed, I once had a gerbil who did this all the time. I named him Flip. Inventive, I know. His brother, Oreo, lived with him and never (in five years of life!) did a single flip.

Flip, in contrast to his brother, had a rather short life. One time he flipped so high that (as far as I can tell) he hit the mesh top then came down hard on a wooden toy. He died instantly. I didn't see it, only heard it and immediatly investigated, but that is what the clues suggested.

So, flipping can be dangerous. If I were you, I would get a bigger tank where they couldn't reach the mesh lid. You might also want to provide him other forms of exercise like lots of deep bedding for burrowing or even a wheel. I rarely suggest a wheel, but it is probably safer than compulsive flipping.

Good luck!

-Matt

[dory]

hey. thanks. there in a 20 gallen tank.. with deep bedding. i take them both out every day..
i do know there inbred, so maybe that has something to do with it. the one that flips is the runt..il try giving them a wheel.
thanks:)

[doug]

This was a very common trait in the 70's and 80's, I had some that could jump and grab the screen of a 20 tall, but each gerbil is different, I have only seen a handful do it recently. I speculate the longer they have been domesticated as something to do with the decrease in this activity.

Doug

[dory]

hey. yeah the one hangs on the screen, the other is to round to get up there.. i put them on my bed and they fliped. from siting still just flung themselfs up and backwards. i can hear them hiting the screen right now.. anoying at night^^