Yesterday was a work at home day, so it was a good opportunity to establish a new gerbil paring, since I could keep an eye on them all day long. I don't know about other people, but introducing two young, but sexually mature opposite sex gerbils is the easiest pairing. Even easier than pups, I've found (keep in mind this was only my 8th gerbil introduction experience). This pair was 4 months (girl Promise) and 5 months (boy Bullet). I am very interested in all of the behaviors you see that are unique to introductions, so I jotted them down. Here's what happened should you care to read on... ******************************************************************* Tuesday 8pm - I put Bullet in the fresh tank alone (after just being separated from Blossom) for overnight Wednesday 8:45 am - I put Bullet in a roll around ball and took Promise away from Mom and two grown sisters to put her in the Bullet-scented tank for a couple of hours. Wednesday 10:00 am - I added Bullet in the tank with no hiding spaces except for a couple inches of care fresh to burrow in and a pile of toilet paper along the left side of the tank. Promise seems low level afraid; she is squeaking softly and a lot, hiding in the toilet paper and pushing away Bullet. Bullet is interested in Promise, but in exploring the tank, and finding food as well. He is doing some dominant gerbil fear-reduction techniques (that I saw Alan use on a prior introduction) of letting a fearful gerbil chew your face or presenting your backside to the fearful one. A few very mild squabbles, but Bullet does not escalate. Promise is using the pup defensive maneuver = push back. Stand on hind legs and push away another gerbil with front paws. Promise was holed away (in a hole she dug in the litter) and squeaking (too afraid?), so I put Bullet in a plastic cage within the tank. Now both are trying to break him out, it appears. Promise standing up against the cage from the outside. Bullet from the inside. Both scratching on the plastic. Now Promise is grooming herself. After a few minutes I let Bullet out, Promise face-greeted him. Promise is back to soft squeaking. Promise fight-provoking, leaping, zipping around the tank. Bullet doesn�t react. Bullet is presenting the side of his body to Promise with eyes half closed, �Groom me�. Now he�s in her nest. He seems eager to nest together. She gives it up to him. Bullet is curled up going to sleep in Promise�s nest; Promise is curled up in a nest on the same side, but other corner of the tank. Bullet still sleeping, Promise now is exploring the tank, even gave Bullet a sniff and a squeak and woke him up. Now he�s falling back to sleep. 12:45pm - Bullet has joined Promise in her new nest and she let him (back left corner). He is draped over her sleeping. 1:45pm -Now they are both awake standing up in identical poses side by side touching each other and looking over at me, so cute!! 10 pm - Wednesday Every bit of toilet tissue has been consolidated to a new, neat nest in the front right corner of the tank. They are curled up together sleeping in the center of it.
