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Post by sparkbubble on Apr 22, 2022 11:26:46 GMT -8
SO...I removed the lid off the tank, gave mom a few seeds, and all was ok. The pup (last one left) can hear now and already associates the sound of the lid with something 'exciting' so it popped its little head out. I always handle the parents first so that the pup and the parents don't freak out too much. After handling the mother, I placed my hand in front of the pup to climb on. The mom suddenly lunged at the pup, chasing it around with the pup squeaking all the while, rolled it over, and groomed it viciously. It hid under a piece of cardboard until it slowly poked its nose out...and the event repeated itself. I managed to stave the mother off and handle the pup for 5 min or so before putting it back. As expected, the mom went into a frenzy again. is this behavior normal? The pup squeaks sometimes when the mom grooms it, but the squeak was different and I can't tell if the exchange is frantic or the pup has just never been able to run so fast before. there was no blood, its just unsettling to watch. The really strange thing is that, after the scuffle ends, its like a switch turns off. Could it be a game or maybe the mom just hates that my scent is on her pup?
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Post by betty on Apr 24, 2022 12:38:48 GMT -8
Not good behaviours - this certainly isn't natural gerbil mum behaviour.
I think she is just a bit over zealous and hopefully this pup will be able to take all this extra stress and still gain weight (stress can cause digestion to work less effectively and lead to secondary nutritional deficiencies).
I would certainly not handle the pup in the presence of mum again - and if you want to handle the pup - take out mum directly afterwards without them having contact (or any treats) - so there is a big gap between you finishing handling the pup and finishing handling mum - so hopefully if you put her back in AND give her a flush of treats (not before) she hopefully won't focus on the pup.
Difficult.
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