Cindy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote
>Well, so far there are three healthy ones, but one was stillborn. Mom
>moved three and left it and so I just snatched it out. (it was
>obviously not moving) I figure it is probably an spsp fatal thing
>since they are both spotted.
Homozygous spotted pups die long before they look anything like gerbil.
They probably cease to be viable and a reabsorbed after about a week of
development.
>..My 6 year old was already sobbing
>because it was dead, and I thought having him watch either of them
>eat it might really freak him out, so we just put it in a ziplock bag
>and are going to bury it. Was this ok? I was looking at the stillborn
>pup really closely (the scientist in me) and it is amazing how tiny,
>yet perfectly formed - complete with tiny claws, ears etc. Besides
>the fatal genes, what causes still borns? Just generalized congenital
>anomolies? Just curious.
Many things. It would probably have been eaten very quickly along with
the placenta etc.
Deaths can be for as simple reasons as the breathing not starting up
properly, extended labour, etc.
>
--
Julian
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
National Gerbil Society
http://www.gerbils.co.uk/
