Live plants

[Thelodar]

I'm going to try growing some plants/sprouts in terra cotta pots to give to the gerbils for some enrichment and nutrition. After searching online I found some of what they eat naturally, but can't find the exact species available to buy online as seeds, they don't have much use for people. I have found a few plants in the same genus for sale, but I'm super hesitant to try anything that I'm not 100% sure is safe. I'm mainly curious about "Sweet Annie" Artemisia annua,"Mugwort" Artemisia vulgaris, and "Saltwort" Salsola komarovii. Anyone know if these are gerbil safe? The saltwort is edible for people, the other two have medicinal use for people.

I'm also planning on doing some dandelion, red clover, chia, alfalfa, and maybe some other grain sprouts.

[yeti218]

No idea about the plants you've mentioned. But I have sprouted flax, chia, millet and oats for my gerbils.

[betty]

Ooh - I think some artemesia were mentioned on the old egerbil site as native plants found in gerbil burrows - now can I find that again....

Edit:

Artemisia Species

Artemesia is a large, wide ranging genus of plants which belong to the daisy family (Asteraceae). Many common names are given to these plants including wormwood, mugwort, sagebrush and sagewort. These hardy shrubs grow well in dry or semi-dry habitats, and the fern like leaves of many of these plants are often covered in fine white hairs. Many of these hardy shrubs are native to the ranges of the Mongolian gerbil and are one of their staple food plants. The photos in the gallery (species 2-9 below) taken by Oleg Korsun show several Artemisia species that are found around Chita and the Chitinsky district in Southern Russia which gives you an idea how diverse the plant is as a species. Several of the species photographed are wide ranging and can be also be found throughout areas of Mongolia, and Inner Mongolia as well. A. seiversiana and A. commutata were two of the staple foods mentioned by G.Agren, Q.Zhou and W.Zhong in their 1989 research paper on the ecology and social behaviour of the Mongolian gerbil At Xilin Hot, Inner Mongolia, China.

Other known species of Artemisia present throughout Mongolia include;

A. adamsii, A. anethifolia*, A.commutata, A. macrocephala, A. dolosa, A. pectinata, A. rutifolia*, A. santolinifolia, A. caespitosa, A. laciniata, A. sericea A. gobica.

Many of the above are regarded as edible for livestock, although a few species mentioned haven’t been determined for that purpose. Those marked with * are deemed inedible for cattle or have a high volatile oil content and are beneficial only as a medicinal plant.
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Salsola Species

Salsola are a large genus of herbs, shrubs, sub shrubs and even small trees in the family Amaranthaceae. Its common names include Saltwort or russian thistle and annual species are often referred to as tumbleweed as the plants separate from the roots in the autumn and are driven by the wind which effectively scatters their seeds far and wide. It can be found to thrive in dry soil and often in saline conditions, with several species being common to saltmarshes. It is regarded as an invasive species in America and thrives anywhere the land has been disturbed. Despite its Russian origins it is associated with the American old west and is a common symbol of many a western movie. The plant would be considered as an important food source for the Mongolian gerbil as both the seeds and shoots of this plant would be edible to them.

S. collina

Is probably the most common of the salsola species and is distributed throughout all of Mongolia's territories.

S. pestifera

Is another common variety being distributed in Khentei, Khangai, Mongol-Daurian, Khobdo, Mongolian Altai, Middle Khalkha, East Mongolia, Depression of Great Lakes, Valley of Lakes, East Gobi, Gobi-Altai, Dzungarian Gobi, Trans-Altai Gobi, Alashan Gobi, and in the Dundgovi Aimag.

S. arbuscula

Can be found growing in the deserts and along slopes and is distributed around Mongolia and areas of Inner Mongolia.

S. monoptera

Distribution: Khangai, Mongolian Altai, Middle Khalkha, Depression of GreatLakes, Valley of Lakes, Gobi-Altai, East Gobi, and also in Dundgovi Aimag.- Habitat: Sandy and sandy-pebble steppe, stony and slushy slopes of mountains and hills.

S. passerina

Can be found growing in the Gobi lakes valley desert steppe, great lakes basin desert steppe, and Eastern Gobi desert steppe.

Salsola abrotanoides

Can be found growing in the Gobi lakes valley desert steppe.

[Thelodar]

That is very helpful Betty, thank you!