No Subject

[cj.morris]

> 1.) Name:  Colin > 2.) Location: West midlands, UK > 3.) Number of gerbils: 3 > 4.) Breeder or owner: owner at present > 5.) WebSite URL if any: no > 6.) ICQ # or AOL IM: no > 7.) Email Address: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 8.) Do you own any other animals?: yes > 9.) If so what kinds: two cats, Tally a 13yr old cream cameo persian (rescue) and Polly a delusional 12 yr old seal point moggy. > 10.) Are you a breeder of any other small animals? If so what kinds?: no Hi all     I first became interested in gerbils when I was about 11ish; I stayed the weekend at my friend house and his brothers had some agouti gerbils (those being the only colour available at the time), they had babies and of course I was fascinated.  before long most of the other kids at school (a boarding school) had a gerbil.  my parents wouldn't allow me to have one as we already had rabbits, cavies, and hens which they had to look after whilst we were at school. (sounds sensible now I'm looking back on it, however I didn't think so at the time as gerbils were the Furbies of my day)  my mother was very friendly with the women who owned the pet shop and arranged some 'Work experience' for me during the summer holidays.  anyway to cut a long story short, the shop had a delivery of some "Albino" gerbils as they were called at the time (DTW now).  As a thank you for the work I had done the petshop owner gave me one of them and a cage etc.  now I was dreading taking it home as I new my mother would take it back to the pet shop as soon as she could (I'd already been warned) so I hid it in the chicken shed until I returned to school.  upon returning to school I felt very proud to be only person with a white gerbil and my popularity soared.  the friend who I had stopped the weekend with gave me a female agouti baby every thing went fine....well until I had to go home again that is.....I told my mom I was looking after them for a boy who had died (I was only young and I had yet to perfect the art of laudable excuses). these had babies who where all agouti (very disappointed young boy and friend) but they where of a lighter colour than the mother; read up on the subject and became interested in the genetics side. I kept a young female with the parents and soon had several DTWs to give away to my friends, and the rest is history as they say. a few weeks ago I happened upon the gerbil web ring, became fascinated all over again with the variety of colours available. joined the gerbil list and bought three gerbils this morning.  a Burmese male, an ivory cream female, and a female that looks like a slate, its definitely not black as it's a sort of brown blue grey. questions: Are slates slightly brown? If not what could it be? what colour babies am I likely to expect? Anyone got any clever suggestions for naming them? thanks cj