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Meriones

  1. What are Meriones?
    gerbils
  2. What is another name for a gerbil?
    jirds
  3. Where are gerbils from?
    desert animals from Mongolia
  4. How do gerbils mark their territory?
    rub ventral sebaceous glands on things
  5. Can gerbils live together?
    yes, usually live in pairs
  6. What is the average life span of a gerbil?
    3 - 4 years
  7. Are gerbils very active?  Are they easy to handle?
    • yes they are very active
    • yes they are easy to handle
  8. Why should we avoid high humidity in gerbils?
    can cause rough hair coat and respiratory problems
  9. How do we restrain gerbils?
    • may scoop up
    • grab tail base
    • avoid scruffing
    • secure tail because they commonly jump
  10. What is a deprassie?
    fat tailed gerbil
  11. Gerbils are polyestrus.  How long is their cycle?
    4 - 6 days
  12. How do we know when a gerbil is in heat?
    they are restless and their vulva is congested (red)
  13. When do gerbils for pair bonds?  What happens if we put strange adults together?
    • by 8 weeks
    • put strange adults together and they may fight
  14. How long is gestation in gerbils?
    24 - 26 days
  15. When are gerbils weaned?
    3 weeks
  16. When do gerbils reach puberty?
    10 weeks
  17. How many gerbils in a litter?
    4 - 6
  18. What are some common medical problems with gerbils?
    • Tyzzer's disease
    • red tears
    • bald nose
    • tail chewing
    • trauma (common)
    • antibiotic toxicity
  19. What are the common sites for collecting blood in gerbils?
    • saphenous or cephalic vein
    • don't usually use the tail vein due to their hair
  20. Where do we usually give injections in gerbils?
    IP
  21. What is more common in gerbils than in any other rodent?
    red tears
  22. Where do we see red tears in gerbils?  What may we also see when there are red tears?  What usually causes red tears?
    • seen around eyes and nose
    • may see facial dermatitis if it is not cleaned off their face
    • often stressed associated
  23. Gerbils commonly have epilepsy.  What should we do about it?
    they are not fatal so there is no treatment used
  24. How long do the epileptic episodes last in gerbils?
    about one minute
  25. What are the signs of an epileptic episode in gerbils?
    spontaneous convulsions or catalepsy (staring off into space)
  26. How common is epilepsy in gerbils?
    inherited in about 30% of gerbils
Author
kris10leejmu
ID
195578
Card Set
Meriones
Description
Exotic Animals
Updated

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