Do babies calm down w/ age? Will bro & sis breed?

[Katy]

I have two gerbils, male and female. They are brother and sister but I'm betting they will mate anyhow correct? but I was also wondering- I know gerbils are skittery critters but will they get a little calmer with age?

[reallybes]

Hi Katy, you're correct .. brother and sister WILL breed but it is advised that inbreeding should not take place at all so please separate them with same sex gerbils or neuter the male .. about being calmer with age, I'm not sure if age has anything to do with it but it all ties in with handling and taming .. if you want them to be a little calmer just interact with them and handle them more, also you might want to give them some "time out" of the cage like in a playpen, some people let their gerbils run around on the floor but that depends if you're comfortable with that or not

Edit: Also, I found that my gerbils are a little less jittery if I keep them busy with toys & give them places to hide for a sense of security.