Re: Chinchilla Dust

[Steven K. Maldonado]

>> >>3rd question. >> >>Another gerbil behavior curiosity. I read many pages on gerbil behavior. >>They all >>mention stereotypical digging thought to be associated with >>burrowing instincts. This indeed appears to be an obvious truth, but what >>about >>digging attributed to line-of-sight? The gerbil views the ground, sees a >>clean spot >>he just made directly in front of him, and perceives this as the beginning >>of the >>borrow that leads deeper? (Just a brain-fart)  ;-) >> >I don't think there is any "thought" about it. Gerbils raised in simple >burrow systems do not do this - > >http://www.gerbils.co.uk/gerbils/burrow.htm   Wrong. Perhaps the word 'thought' should have been more appropriately stated as "...stereotypical digging, with a 'provisionally acceptable observation' that it is associated with burrowing instincts." But your page only gives 1 likely explanation to why they dig compulsively when subject to a thin bedding environment in captivity.   How are you to know if stereotypical digging is exclusively from an instinct to dig burrows, or if it's because of the Gerbils visual perception of its immediate surrounding? How are you to know if the Gerbil perceives the clean spot in front of him as the beginning of a burrow and is trying to get inside of it?   Would a Gerbil exhibit these behaviors in a micro gravity environment? <j/k! thought I'd throw that one in for kicks. But you see my point.>  ;-)   I'd be interested in your ideas.   Me     ----- Original Message ----- From: Julian and Jackie To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, March 26, 2001 4:43 PM Subject: Re: Chinchilla Dust Steven K. Maldonado <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote > >1st question regarding chinchilla dust. > >I am using the Super Pet brand of chinchilla dust. It is composed purely of >super >low dust volcanic mountain pumice. When the gerbils frolic and have their >gerbilarian follies in the sand, is it common for them to put the stuff in >their >mouth and crunch on it? Are they attempting to grind their teeth down? >Afterwards, they head over to the water bottle for a drink, and return. > It is pretty normal for gerbils to chew on anything. As for why they crunch on chinchilla dust I don't know.It is harmless though. >2nd question. > >You guys think a 20 gal tank is too small to have a half-side sand >and half-side carefresh bedding setup? I thought about having 3 inches >on the left >with a lexan wall to hold the sand in and the other side carefresh bedding. For how many gerbils? For a pair this should be fine. > >3rd question. > >Another gerbil behavior curiosity. I read many pages on gerbil behavior. >They all >mention stereotypical digging thought to be associated with >burrowing instincts. This indeed appears to be an obvious truth, but what >about >digging attributed to line-of-sight? The gerbil views the ground, sees a >clean spot >he just made directly in front of him, and perceives this as the beginning >of the >borrow that leads deeper? (Just a brain-fart)  ;-) > I don't think there is any "thought" about it. Gerbils raised in simple burrow systems do not do this - http://www.gerbils.co.uk/gerbils/burrow.htm -- Julian [EMAIL PROTECTED] National Gerbil Society http://www.gerbils.co.uk/