www.gerbils.org <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote
>Steven Horvath wrote:
>
>"I just thought that it was really neat to hear about the gerbil who was
>born with no tail..."
>
>What is there that could be "neat" about any animal born with deformities?
>If we ever had a Gerbil born in this fashion we would regard it as a tragedy
>and do everything we could to give this Gerbil a good quality life...
>
>David Hinsley,
>www.gerbils.org
I agree. Whilst all the gerbils we have possess some sort of deformity
from the ones that live in the wild. Their colour is different, or their
coat is not quite the same, my rule of thumb is that the mutations
should not seriously interfere with the animal's comfort or quality of
life.
The visual problems that affect PEW gerbils, is probably the limit. It
is an inconvenience to the gerbil but it lives the same life span, plays
and breeds the same as any other gerbil.
The sort of mutation I would not be happy to see are loss of a tail, fur
so long that human intervention is needed regularly to stop the gerbil
from getting a matted coat, long ears that needed tying back so it
didn't fall over them etc. All these exist with varying degrees of
problems in other small animals species.
I would not want to see hairless gerbils although they have appeared in
laboratory populations. I am not sure I would like to see a rex coat as
it must interfere with the coat's ability to keep the gerbil warm.
I wouldn't mind seeing a satin coat, or most colour mutations that do
not lead to obesity, balance or neurological problems. I would also not
want to see white spotting mutations that lead to eye less or deaf
gerbils appear.
I have seen gerbils that had their tails removed after serious injury
through fighting. They walk funny and cannot climb or stand properly.
As Karin says, there will be people who wish to capitalise on almost any
mutation but I think it is better for some mutations to die out. For
example, I know a responsible breeder who discovered that a pair of
gerbils was producing ear less gerbils, he stopped them and their
offspring breeding. We stopped a group of Sundervall's Jirds breeding
when they started producing tails that hooked over the body like a
scorpion's sting.
--
Julian
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* Jackie and Julian *
* [EMAIL PROTECTED] *
* National Gerbil Society *
* http://www.gerbils.co.uk/ *
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