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Post by bettybob on Dec 13, 2004 12:55:35 GMT -8
just curious...when do gerbils molt? is it like cats shedding a winter coat? is it at a certain time of year or just every once and a while? and why do they molt? my siamese gerbil has a line on his tail..starting at the base of it there is a half an inch of tan fur, then the rest is darker brown. just wondering if that is molting.
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Post by sweetie on Dec 15, 2004 14:10:39 GMT -8
Hey Betty,
I have a DEH & a Nutmeg. Both of mine have moulted at least twice since I got them (4 months). I think that it is part of the maturing process like the fuzz to fur. Mine have a visible line on their backs that travels down to thier tails. one side is lighter the other darker.
It does sound like your gerb is moulting. Do you have a picture? Also, there is another post in which there are pictures of moulting so that you may see it.
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Post by paws on Dec 15, 2004 14:14:51 GMT -8
My Schimmel has lightened, but he has a chocolate patch. Is this molting?
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Post by sweetie on Dec 15, 2004 14:21:35 GMT -8
Moulting is when they have a line across them and then the fur either lightens or darkens. I do not think that a dark "patch" is indicative of moulting. Do you have a picture?
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Post by Ritzie/Admin on Dec 18, 2004 11:46:03 GMT -8
Gerbils don't lose their hair in clumps the way a cat or dog does when they're shedding. They gradually replace old hair with new. With some colors, this isn't very noticeable, but with others, there is a horizontal line across their backs, which eventually disappears. With most colors, the difference on either side of the line isn't extreme, just a little bit of difference in color and/or texture. Gerbils molt over their entire lifetime.
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Post by sweetie on Dec 19, 2004 21:17:39 GMT -8
Peter, are you saying that they will continue to moult throughout thier life time? Is it only in the DEH & Nutmegs? I haven't noticed this on any of my other gerbils. It is one of the benefits of having gerbils as oposed to other pets!! They don't shed.
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Post by queenofthenile on Dec 20, 2004 8:26:15 GMT -8
Sweetie, you can particularly see the molting in siamese. There will be a line across their back that shows the boundary between new/old hair. I haven't observed the moulting in my other gerbils. Their fur must be too dark for the change to be noticeable.
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Post by Ritzie/Admin on Dec 22, 2004 7:35:50 GMT -8
Yes all gerbils moult! All colours, only it not visible or good visible in all colours! I've seen it myself in my DEH, Nutmegs and Golden Agouties!
With nutmegs, etc is especially good visible, because the new hairs have another colour! But even after the nutmegs are totally brown, they continue moulting. Only the colour of the new hair stays the same this time.
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Post by Ritzie/Admin on Dec 24, 2004 5:08:06 GMT -8
Gerbils don't lose their hair in clumps the way a cat or dog does when they're shedding. They gradually replace old hair with new. With some colors, this isn't very noticeable, but with others, there is a horizontal line across their backs, which eventually disappears. With most colors, the difference on either side of the line isn't extreme, just a little bit of difference in color and/or texture. Gerbils molt over their entire lifetime. By the way, I forgot to mention that this information came from RW! She posted it on another forum. I came across it when searching for more information when gerbils molt exactly! I thought she explained it well, and was to lazy to post it myself. Does anyone know, if it in a particular season or just all year round. Because I don't know and could not find the information. RW, maybe you know more on this. I only know that I have seen it in my gerbils, but cannot remember in what time it was exactly! Does someone else did.
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Post by j on Dec 28, 2004 1:20:37 GMT -8
I noticed this in all my golden agoutis since the winter started. They weren't doing this in the summer.. only one I had molting then was the nutmeg.
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