There is no way this gerbil is 8 weeks old

[angel]

Can anyone help me determine the age of the gerbils in the videos below? I got them from the pet store the other day. It sucks having to buy gerbils from the pet store as I’d much prefer to get them from a breeder but unfortunately the closest one in my area is two hours away and isn’t going to have any pups available for quite a while. I was taken aback when I went in to pick up these two female gerbils and saw the one little teeny tiny one. They told me they are sisters, and about 8-10 weeks old. Even the larger one is pretty small, but her sister is so tiny she almost looks like a mouse. I was a little confused & concerned so I asked them if they were sure about their ages, but they said normally when they receive their shipments the gerbils are approximately 8-10 weeks old which is standard. I just have a hard time believing that considering how tiny the one is. Any thoughts?

files.fm/u/f4z2hbgj9

Btw the one crawling up my arm is the larger one and the one in my hand is the smaller one.

[LilyandDaisy]

I think they do look younger as you say, but they could feasibly be a young-looking 8 weeks. It's hard to say. Markpd's new gerbils were very tiny when he got them.

If I had to guess without any context I would probably say about 6 weeks for the bigger one and 4-5 weeks for the smaller one, though, assuming they are indeed siblings they don't look far enough apart in age to genuinely be from different litters. Sometimes gerbils from the same litter can be quite different in size.

Either way, it's not a big concern. It's more ideal for gerbils to stay with an adult until they are at least 8 weeks but since they have each other, they should be ok

[betty]

There are a few pet stores that buy in from breeders specifically and are genuinely sold as siblings - however almost every other breeder I know mixes litters as standard to make the numbers up into pairs.

That isn't to say your delightfully friendly gerbils AREN'T actual sisters (same or subsequent litters) but the fact they/you used the world 'shipment' makes me think they might not be.

I have had runts from litters that are considerably smaller than their siblings - which doesn't usually even out fully until around 10-12 weeks - so this could just be the largest and smallest pups from the same litter. As said above - there doesn't seem to be enough between them for over a months difference (unless they are the smallest from an older and largest from a younger litter).

Either way - they look super handleable, confident and inquisitive - so that is a great start with store brought gerbils. Do keep us updated with their first few weeks with you...

[angel]

Will do! I’m glad to hear it’s not something I should be too worried about because at first I honestly was a little concerned that maybe the little one should still be with the mom. And as for where the pet store got them from, when I was first inquiring to see if they had gerbils the lady told me they would have to order them in and admitted to me the name of the place they get them from. I think it was called high oak or something like that (in Ontario Canada). I looked it up because I like to investigate these things to see if I could possibly buy from their suppliers directly in the future but unfortunately it looks like it’s just a regular rodent mill type of place.

[LilyandDaisy]

The mass breeders almost certainly do mix litters, and could probably quite easily mislabel a gerbil with the wrong age as well. So it's quite possible they're younger that stated but they're certainly above weaning age. Younger pups are quite short, round and fluffy and then by about 5 weeks old they're proportioned more like an adult gerbil, so longer in the body and sleek like yours

[Markpd]

They are adorable and very cute gerbils , and so tame already!

That aside, I was sure my current 2 were younger than 8 weeks too as they were so much smaller than Avon and Blake were at the same age, however, weight wise, they have now matched them!
See how small Gan or Vila were below (I still can't properly tell them apart! lol), my hand is ~19cm long.
Oh btw, both pairs were from the same breeder, and she gave me the birth dates for both pairs.

[angel]

Cute gerbs I'm still thinking of names for mine but I'd say the larger one is about the same size as yours in the photo, and the smaller one is even tinier! Not gonna lie at first I thought she was crossbred with a mouse or something lol 😂

[Markpd]

Lol, I think it's safe to say that's not likely .

But I know what you mean, I was surprised by how small my boys were.