Gerbil tail function

[hannibal]

Hi everyone
A friend of mine's gerbil recently lost part of it's tail due to it getting stuck. We've read a bit and we know that it will be ok, and won't have a handicap. So that got me wondering, what is the function of the tail. if a gerbil can lose it's tail without getting a handicap then how can it have a function.
Does anyone know ?

[ninestone]

It does help them with balance when standing on their rear 2 legs. Losing a tail CAN impair a gerbil's balance while standing up. However, especially for pet gerbils, this is not a significant handicap.

[MoonstoneGerbils]

They use it for balance and communication. Gerbils will "wag" their tails when they are annoyed/mad, or whip it if they are furious.

[leafwhisp]

One of my gerbils lost half her tail and I never noticed any problems with balance. I don't think yours will have any problem.

[betty]

No. In a caged environment some of these 'missing parts' don't overly hinder movement or function, and rightly so as our cages and tanks shouldn't be too dangerous or have predators in them.

But I would imagine if you had a wild gerbil in Mongolia without a tail or with a leg missing or who was blind, they would probably have a much shortened life span.