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Post by jimbo on Jul 20, 2004 7:19:22 GMT -8
HI, i got 2 mongilian gerbils yesterday and i wasy surprised to see how tame they already are.... there around 10 weeks old and from a pet store...... when i put my hand in they just jump onto it and sniff it  when i take them out of the tank and set them on my lap they sniff around for a few seconds them try to run away but not running fast.... to me this seems like there VERY tame. im just wondering how much tammer they can become? Thanx a lot to someone who can give me a reply |
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Post by andrea on Jul 20, 2004 7:33:53 GMT -8
mongolians can get quite tame, one we had used to love being turned upside down and have his belly tickled!.
Nothing is quite as tame as a cheesman though, our cheesmans jump up and down to be picked up then you put your hand in the tank and they run up your arm. I also sit in playpen with them and mostly I get a cheesman trying nestle up inside my top of summut! ;D
The more you handle them the more tame they get
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Post by sweetie on Jul 21, 2004 11:43:55 GMT -8
I am noticing the first set of gerbs I got was not as tame as the second set. The second set I got did not and do not have an issue with them climbing up in my lap on my shoulders  , or me holding them. The first set is getting better especially the male Agouti. He will now climb on me but the Black female is still very skittish. I hope that she will tame more!! What can I do to get her more comfortable with me like the rest of the "clan"? They are all at different levels of "tame". I am noticing that sex is not an indicator of levels of tameness. Could it be the difference in age? They are about a week or two apart. I imagine that they are like every other species and they all have their own personalities, like, dislikes, and levels of tolerance. |
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Post by jimbo on Jul 22, 2004 3:52:31 GMT -8
thanx guys, so once there really tame they wouldnt try and escape from me? if i just let him run around my arms and shoulders?
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Post by Ritzie/Admin on Jul 23, 2004 12:59:34 GMT -8
When they are tame they will not be scared for you, so they will not try to escape. When my gerbils walk freely around in my living room, they keep walking in front my feet!  However they are to lively to sit still on your lap to be pet! So they are different from rats, dogs, rabbits, etc. Just handle them a lot! |
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Post by sweetie on Jul 31, 2004 10:11:56 GMT -8
Hey Jimbo,
I would definitely try the shoulder arm thing on the ground first (laying down and letting them crawl all over you) so that they don't try to jump off you from a standing position. I agree that they tolerate being handled but that they do not like to "cuddle". They have fun through exploring more than sitting in one place.
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Post by blackie on Aug 4, 2004 8:47:33 GMT -8
Two of my gerbils are very tame. They can sit on my hand. I just need to cup my hands and put them down in the tank and they will climb on to it and they know I'm going to take them out. They are very polite! They sometimes lick my hand. You can maybe carefully stroke them with one finger when they are busy eating sunflower seeds. You just have to spend a lot of time with them and be calm. It's kind of boring when all a gerbils wants from you is snacks. Don't over feed them.One of my gerbils had pups once. I didn't touch the pups before they were a few weeks old just to be on the safe side, but some people say you have to pick them up from they are very little to make them get used to humans. I just put my hand in there a lot and let them smell me. And I was dead quiet for about a week.
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Post by blackie on Aug 4, 2004 8:51:25 GMT -8
Actually it's unnatural for a gerbil to trust a big "animal" like a human. They are a typical prey animal. In the wild foxes and prey birds are their enemies. They flee to their burrows by the sound of flapping wings or a sithering snake. Try to make a sort of "squish-squish" sound with your hands. The gerbil will start to thump. If your pets are really untame just sit completely still in front of the enclosure for a couple of weeks and let them get used to yuor smell. Don't try to take them out before they are more confident maybe.
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Post by sweetie on Aug 5, 2004 6:20:58 GMT -8
Speaking of smell, I had a different lotion on and the gerbils started thumping like crazy. Even Sweetie the tamest one was thumping. I had to wash several times before I could go near the gerbils and then they came to the front and started sniffing!! Wow  I won't use that again!! |
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when i take them out of the tank and set them on my lap they sniff around for a few seconds them try to run away but not running fast.... to me this seems like there VERY tame. im just wondering how much tammer they can become? 
, or me holding them. The first set is getting better especially the male Agouti. He will now climb on me but the Black female is still very skittish. I hope that she will tame more!! What can I do to get her more comfortable with me like the rest of the "clan"?
I won't use that again!!