Mongolian Gerbil

Is a Mongolian gerbil right for you?

A gerbil is a very different rodent from a hamster: curious, active by day as well as by night, and highly social. An adult reaches 11-13 cm in body length, about 20-24 cm including the tail, and weighs 60-130 grams, with males generally larger than females. Don't lump gerbils in with hamsters — the single most important difference is that a gerbil must never be kept alone.

The most important difference from hamsters: a Syrian hamster must always live alone, while Roborovski and Campbell's dwarf hamsters can be kept in pairs or trios under the right conditions but don't have to be. With gerbils it's the opposite: the RSPCA states that "gerbils need to live with other gerbils and should never be kept on their own," because in the wild they live in groups of 2 to 15. A gerbil's tail is also very different from a hamster's — grabbing it can strip the skin off (see below), a risk that doesn't apply the same way to hamsters.

Before you adopt

• Don't buy a single gerbil. Get at least two, ideally same-sex and raised together. Adding an unfamiliar gerbil to an established group later usually isn't accepted and can lead to fighting.
• Confirm the sex if you don't want a mixed-sex group; have a vet or the pet shop check.
• Check the tail. A bald, scabbed, or bone-exposed area at the tip is a sign the animal may have been grabbed by the tail — don't take that one.
• Watch group harmony. Don't take animals from a cage showing chasing, bite marks, or an individual cornered away from the rest.
• Eyes bright, nose and eye area clean — redness or crusting can be related to "sore nose" (see below).

Cage and living space

In the wild, gerbils dig complex underground tunnel systems, and the cage should reflect that.

• A gerbilarium-style enclosure: the RSPCA recommends solid glass or plastic walls, a wire-mesh top, and a solid floor deep enough for bedding. Classic wire-bar cages aren't recommended, since gerbils can catch a foot between bars or gnaw them and damage their teeth.
• Height and bedding depth: the RSPCA recommends a bedding depth of 20-30 cm, with the enclosure ideally around 50 cm tall so a gerbil can dig a tunnel and still stand fully upright when it emerges (an adult stands about 12 cm tall).
• Temperature: the RSPCA's ideal range is 20-24°C. Avoid very humid environments — high humidity raises the risk of "sore nose," described below.
• Bedding material: paper-based or dust-free wood-based bedding, deep enough for digging. Avoid pine and cedar shavings.
• Sand bath: offer rodent bathing sand regularly, both for hygiene and natural behaviour.

Spot-clean often; changing all the bedding at once disrupts the group's scent recognition and can trigger fighting.

Feeding

Gerbils are omnivorous; in the wild they eat seeds, roots, and occasional insects.

• Staple food: a pellet or balanced grain mix made for gerbils or jirds.
• Fresh vegetables: a small amount every other day — low-moisture vegetables like broccoli, cucumber, or bell pepper are preferred (gerbils naturally drink little water, so very watery vegetables can cause diarrhoea).
• Protein: a small amount of dried mealworms or boiled egg a few times a week.
• Chewing and hay: keep dry hay or forage available for tooth wear and digestion.
• Never give: sugary or salty human food, chocolate, onion, garlic, avocado, almonds.
• Watch for obesity: limit oily seeds like sunflower, since gerbils may pick those out and leave the rest.

Health and lifespan

Sources generally put the gerbil's lifespan at 3-4 years, with some individuals living past 5 — notably longer than a pet hamster's.

Watch for:

• Seizures (epileptiform episodes): according to the Merck Veterinary Manual, these occur in roughly 20-40% of gerbils, most often starting between 2-6 months of age and declining with age; sudden stress, excessive handling, a new environment, or a new object can trigger one. Most seizures are brief and leave no lasting damage, and death from them is rare. Regular, gentle handling from a young age is reported to reduce seizures in genetically predisposed animals. See a vet for frequent or prolonged episodes.
• Sore nose (nasal dermatitis): stress, an incompatible cage mate, overcrowding, or high humidity can increase gland secretions around the nose and eyes; scratching then causes redness, hair loss, and possible infection. Calming the environment and lowering humidity are part of treatment; severe cases need veterinary care.
• Tail slip (degloving): grabbing a gerbil by the tail can strip the outer skin layer off, exposing bone. This injury doesn't heal back to normal and usually requires surgical removal of part of the tail. Never pick a gerbil up by the tail — support the body, or let it walk into your cupped hands.
• Scent gland tumours: swelling can develop on the abdominal scent gland, especially in older animals; it can be benign or malignant, and surgery is more successful when caught early.
• Kidney disease: a chronic condition seen in gerbils over a year old; weight loss and lethargy warrant a vet visit.
• Inner ear masses: in older animals, a head tilt or loss of balance can indicate a mass affecting the inner ear and needs veterinary examination.

Handling and taming

1. Don't touch it for the first few days. Provide food and water and let it get used to your voice.
2. Hand-feed. Put food in your palm and wait for it to approach.
3. Lift by supporting the body. Cup it with both hands — never grab the tail.
4. Work low down, on the floor or over a large box, in case of a fall or escape.
5. Avoid sudden movements. Loud noise, sudden touch, or too-frequent handling can trigger a seizure in predisposed individuals — keep a calm, consistent routine.

Enrichment

1. A deep digging area: thick bedding supported by cardboard or paper tunnels that can be re-dug.
2. A sand bath, offered regularly in a separate container.
3. Chew material: untreated wood, dried branches, hay.
4. Foraging: scatter food in the bedding rather than a bowl.
5. Enough resources for the group: if you keep several gerbils, provide enough of each resource (nest, water, sand bath) to reduce competition.

History and life in the wild

The Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) is native to the steppe and semi-desert regions of Mongolia, northern China, and the southern edge of Siberia. In the wild it digs complex, multi-entrance underground tunnel systems and lives in family groups of 2 to 15 — the social structure that is the direct reason captive gerbils should never be left alone.

The species was first brought to the West as a laboratory animal in the mid-20th century before entering the pet trade. Because its wild population is spread across a wide range and isn't under threat, the IUCN lists it as Least Concern.