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Post by blackie on Aug 26, 2004 6:00:47 GMT -8
I just wondered what you think about gerbils with red or ruby eyes? Are they as pretty as black-eyed gerbils? Because with the lighter colors you often get the red eyes, like argente golden or dove/lilac. Do they have poorer eyesight?
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Post by andrea on Aug 26, 2004 6:03:43 GMT -8
HI,
I myself prefer black eyes gerbils. I think it was becuase the only vicous gerbil i have ever had was a pink eyed white, I have never quite trusted them since.. silly i know
also pink eyed and ruby eyed gerbils do not have very good eye sight and lots of owners of pink/ruby eyed gerbils ahve reported that there gerbil will often sway as its trying to focus.
Andrea
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Post by sweetie on Aug 26, 2004 7:39:07 GMT -8
Blackie,
I have read that ruby/red eyed gerbils do have difficulty with focusing. I have three with black eyes and only one with ruby eyes. I do not see a difference between thier balance or any thing that indicates poorer eyesight on Sweetie.
I prefer black eyes. I love Sweetie but I still associate red eyes with horror movies and evilness!!! It's a good thing Sweetie is not a biter or I would view her as an evil being. SHe is actually the tamest of them all!!
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Post by sandy2 on Aug 26, 2004 14:41:42 GMT -8
In my opinion you can't even see the redness of the eyes unless you look for it. I've even taken pictures where you can't see that the eyes are red: Cheam's Ladypeak, pied sapphire with ruby eyes: Cheam's Fraser, black eyes:
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Post by queenofthenile on Aug 26, 2004 15:43:23 GMT -8
One of my first gerbils, Jasper, has red eyes. At the time, I didn't know as much about gerbils and it sent chills up my spine when he would sway back and forth. I don't know why, perhaps it seemed like some evil omen to me at the time . Now I'm much more used to gerbils, and I find the swaying thing really cute .
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RW
Member
When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. Puppy 6/6/07
Posts: 530
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Post by RW on Aug 27, 2004 12:24:54 GMT -8
At one time I would have said no, I didn't think red-eyed gerbils were as attractive as ones with black eyes, but I've changed my mind. Most of the red-eyed gerbils I've seen in person have eyes that are so dark you can barely tell they're red and I think the red-eyed golden colors like argente, argente cream, red and yellow fox are especially pretty. It took longer for the gray ones like dove and lilac to grow on me, but now I think they're pretty, too.
Like everyone else, I've read about red-eyed gerbils having poor eyesight, but I've never noticed my two red-eyed ones swaying or displaying any other signs of not seeing well.
RW
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Post by birko on Aug 28, 2004 12:27:37 GMT -8
i am really worried can sumone help me mine sways quite often i am worried it carnt see me.
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Post by queenofthenile on Aug 28, 2004 16:47:35 GMT -8
Don't worry birko. For red-eyed gerbils, that is completely normal.
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Post by blackie on Aug 29, 2004 7:14:47 GMT -8
Well Sweetie the Sapphire still looks like a pretty gerbil girl...I'm not a fan of the typical albino either...but of course you will love a ruby-eyed gerbil as much as a black-eyed one. I don't really understand what you mean with "swaying"? Do they sway because they can't see very good? That sounds funny. I guess it is not a big problem. Well, whatever....actually I really like the self colored grey gerbs, like lilac or sapphire. (Even though they have red eyes)
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Post by sweetie on Aug 29, 2004 12:14:09 GMT -8
Hey Blackie,
Thanks. I love Sweetie. Her eyes are also a dark red. She does not seem to sway like others. Swaying is believed to be a behavior exhibited by red or pink eyed gerbils due to poor eyesight. I am not sure why but it's what I have also read.
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Post by queenofthenile on Aug 29, 2004 17:25:27 GMT -8
I was told that swaying helps them to focus.
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Post by moghedien on Aug 30, 2004 9:50:26 GMT -8
Well just to cast in my vote on the red/black eyed thing, I like both! Red eyes don't bother me (I love all animals! never been scared by the appearance of an animal). I do have to admit though, I think that the few light-colored gerbils there are with black eyes are very striking, such as black-eyed schimmels and LCP agouti, but I love 'em all! ;D
Also, I have two ruby-eyed gerbs, and neither of them seem to have poor eyesight/balance difficulties or anything along those lines.
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Post by sweetie on Aug 30, 2004 13:06:18 GMT -8
Could it be that the lighter the eyes, the more swaying to improve focus? Sweetie is dark eyed red. Maybe it's only the light or pink eyed gerbs that sway!!
Thanks for the info Queenie. Very interesting.
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Post by veronic on Sept 2, 2004 4:39:19 GMT -8
If red/pink eyed gerbils do not see very well, it is normal that their behaviour is more aggressive: if they cannot perceive the danger as well as others, they feel threatened, and insecurity generates aggressivity.
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Post by sweetie on Sept 2, 2004 5:11:36 GMT -8
That may be! It may also be that they rely more on smell and since they are territorial anyways any new smell or new gerbil may be heightened because of thier keener sense of smell.
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