Gerbil

The behaviour of Mongolian gerbils in a semi-natural environment with special reference to ventral marking, dominance and sociability

Gerbils do not show stereotyped bar-gnawing in cages which are provided with a lid [dark areas in cage].

Year Published: 1977Animal Type: Gerbil, Rodent

Citation: Roper, T. J., Polioudakis, E. 1977. The behaviour of Mongolian gerbils in a semi-natural environment with special reference to ventral marking, dominance and sociability. Behaviour 61, 207-237.

Surface choice and behavior in adult Mongolian gerbils

Both males and females clearly chose to be most frequently on the sand, follwed by the wood chip bedding material.

Year Published: 1978Animal Type: Gerbil, Rodent

Citation: Pettijohn, T. F., Barkes, B. M. 1978. Surface choice and behavior in adult Mongolian gerbils. The Psychological Record 28, 299-303.

Social housing and odor preferences in the mongolian gerbil Meriones unguiculatus

Year Published: 1982Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Gerbil, Rodent

Citation: Halpin ZT, Noonan KC. 1982. Social housing and odor preferences in the mongolian gerbil Meriones unguiculatus. Biology of Behav. 7;293-302.

Sound and its significance for laboratory animals

Several methods of varying accuracy have been used to assess what sounds small laboratory animals such as rodents are capable of hearing. Most rodents can detect sounds from 1000 Hz (the frequency of the Greenwich Time Signal) up to 100000...

Year Published: 1982Animal Type: Chinchilla, Gerbil, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Mole Rat, Mouse, Other Rodent, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Gamble, M. R. 1982. Sound and its significance for laboratory animals. Biological Reviews 57, 395-421.

The rodents II: Suborder Myomorpha

It is good advice to form new groups in clean cages to avoid territorial antagonism resulting from familiar odor cues.

Year Published: 1985Animal Type: Gerbil, Hamster, Mouse, Other Rodent, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Brown, R. E. 1985. The rodents II: Suborder Myomorpha. In: Social Odours in Mammals, Volume 1. Brown, R. E. , MacDonald, D. W. (eds). Clarendon Press, Oxford, UK.

Brief periods of environmental enrichment facilitates adolescent development of gerbils

The enrichment experience [large outdoor environment] for one hour a month [only!] .. facilitated adolescent development. Area of the ventral gland increased more rapidly in gerbils given environmental enrichment.

Year Published: 1986Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Gerbil, Rodent

Citation: Cheal, M. L., Foley, K., Kastenbaum, R. 1986. Brief periods of environmental enrichment facilitates adolescent development of gerbils. Physiology and Behavior 36, 1047-1051.

Environmental enrichment facilitates foraging behavior

Gerbils who had one hour per month access to a complex outdoor enclosure or who were reared in a large cage were more efficient in locating a feeding source than controls [reared/kept in small cages].

Year Published: 1987Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Gerbil, Rodent

Citation: Cheal, M. L. 1987. Environmental enrichment facilitates foraging behavior. Physiology and Behavior 39, 281-283.

Ecology and social behaviour of the Mongolian gerbils, Meriones unguiculatus, at Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia, China

Observations were made of social and territorial behaviour in a wild high-density population of Mongolian gerbils. The social units were multi-male, multi-female age-structured groups, judged to be families. The operational sex ratio was male biased. Group size varied from two...

Year Published: 1989Animal Type: Gerbil, Rodent

Citation: Agren, G., Zhou, Q., Zhong, W. 1989. Ecology and social behaviour of the Mongolian gerbils, Meriones unguiculatus, at Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia, China. Animal Behaviour 37, 11-27.

Handbook of Laboratory Animal Management and Welfare – Chapter on Small Species: Gerbils and Hamsters

GERBILS are generally docile creatures, which are easily handled and rarely bite. They are generally very active, and when approached, they will resist being caught. Normally they exhibit exploratory behaviour in new surroundings, and if loose they do not hide...

Year Published: 1994Animal Type: Gerbil, Hamster, Rodent

Citation: Wolfensohn, S. , Lloyd, M. 1994. Handbook of Laboratory Animal Management and Welfare - Chapter on Small Species: Gerbils and Hamsters. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.

The Ontogeny of Stereotypies in Gerbils

The provision of an artifical external burrow reduces stereotypic digging significantly.

Year Published: 1995Animal Type: Gerbil, Rodent

Citation: Wiedenmayer, C. 1995. The Ontogeny of Stereotypies in Gerbils. Universit?t Z?rich, Z?rich, Switzerland.