> > You don't. Odd but true, gerbils have been procrating for hundreds of
> > thousands of years without any assistance from anyone. Even before the
> > invention of the gerbil wheel and aquariums. So I wouldn't be real
> > concerned about it, since the gerbil mother can pretty well handle
> things...
> >
> > C. Keil, kinda tired of threads like this. >>
>
> YES your right... but you also have to keep in mind that those gerbils
were
> BORN in the wild and have learned from their parents how to raise litters.
> it is true that animals in captivity lose some of the skills that are
learned
> from parents in the wild. threads like this aren't wrong at all... they
jus
> bring up discussion . i don't know much about gerbil behavior, but there
are
> also in experienced mothers that might not know what to do the first time,
so
> a question of how to help them is perfectly plausible, in my opion.
Gerbils get booted from the nest at about 6 weeks, IIRC. Gerbils spend
about the same time in the cage with mom. I can buy them not knowing how to
find food, but not knowing how to raise a pup is ludicrous. They've
"learned" (if they have to learn at all, which is silly) as much as they
would have in the wild about child rearing. Threads like the one I
commented on plague this list, and take up space that could be used for,
well, more legitamate questions. Folks who are too lazy to read the FAQ,
which they have easy access to (the address is in every one of Julian's
post, after all) are a burden to the rest of us. If you can't be bothered
to do any research at all before asking a question, then I'd have to
question thier capacity to take care of a living animal.
C. Keil, realizes this is off topic too, but it really needs to be said.
Gerbils are tough critters. They survive a lot more in the wild then you
folks would seem to give them credit for, and they've no one to raise their
pups for them and no plastic water bottles.
