Mongolian gerbil
Mongolian gerbil | |
---|---|
Wild gerbil in Mongolia | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Muridae |
Genus: | Meriones |
Species: | M. unguiculatus
|
Binomial name | |
Meriones unguiculatus (Milne-Edwards, 1867)[2]
|
The Mongolian gerbil or Mongolian jird (Meriones unguiculatus) is a
Taxonomy and evolution
The first known mention of gerbils came in 1866, by Father
There is a popular misconception about the meaning of this scientific name, appearing both in printed works[5] and in websites,[6] due to the genus Meriones sharing the name with Greek warrior Meriones in Homer's Iliad; however, translations like "clawed warrior" are incorrect. The genus was named by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger in 1811,[7] deriving from the Greek word μηρος (femur). Combined with 'unguiculate', meaning to have claws or nails in Latin, the name can be loosely translated as 'clawed femur'.[8]
Habitat
Mongolian gerbils inhabit grassland, shrubland and desert, including
Soil on the steppes is sandy and is covered with
In the wild, these gerbils live in
A group lives in a central burrow with 10–20 exits. Some deeper burrows with only one to three exits in their territory may exist. These deeper
In science
Gerbils have a long history of use in scientific research, although nowadays they are rarely used. For example, in the United Kingdom in 2017, only around 300 Mongolian gerbils were used in experimental procedures, compared to over 2 million mice.[12]
Tumblebrook Farm
Most gerbils used in scientific research are derived from the Tumblebrook Farm strain, which has its origins in 20 pairs of wild-caught Mongolian gerbils sent to Japan in 1935. Eleven of these animals were subsequently sent to Dr. V. Schwentker's Tumblebrook Farm in Brant Lake, New York, United States in 1954,[13] with additional animals later sent to Charles River Ltd in Italy in 1996.[14][15][16]
Hearing
Gerbils have a wide hearing range, from detection of low frequency foot drumming to higher frequency chirps and therefore may be a more suitable model of human
Vocal
Male gerbils can produce ultrasonic sounds with frequencies ranging from approximately 27 to 35 kHz and amplitudes ranging from approximately 0 to 70 dBa. Their larynx is involved in the production of these ultrasonic sounds. Experimentation revealed five findings of interest, which are that adults only emit ultrasonic sounds when stimulated socially, males signal more frequently than females, dominant males are more active in vocalizations than subordinate males, ultrasounds are triggered by conspecific odors, and that d-amphetamine, a central nervous system stimulant, contributes high levels of ultrasounds while chlorpromazine, an antipsychotic medication, lowers the emission rate. In addition, there's been a relationship between the ultrasonic sounds and their ability to reproduce.[failed verification][18]
Epilepsy
10–20% of gerbils exhibit spontaneous epileptiform seizures, typically in response to a stressor such as handling or cage cleaning.[19] Epilepsy in gerbils has a genetic basis, and seizure-prone and seizure-resistant lines have been bred.[20][21]
Diabetes
Like other desert rodents such as
Genetics and genomics
Laboratory gerbils are derived from a small number of founders, and so genetic diversity was generally assumed to be low. Initial genetic studies based on small numbers of
Reproduction
In the wild, Mongolian gerbils breed in February and October. Males do not become
Gerbils are for the most part selective when it comes to picking a mate for copulation. An average litter size for the Mongolian Gerbil is around 4–8 pups. If the litter only contains around 1–2 young then the mother will neglect them and they will die from starvation.[32] Mongolian Gerbils are monogamous and mate with their selected partner for life. When their mate dies, many gerbils refrain from seeking other mates to reproduce with.[32] Males generally find new mates whereas females may not. When older females lose their mate they almost always give up on seeking reproduction.[32] Their behavior tends to vary when faced with different settings; in the wild, the large population of gerbils means that finding and selecting a mate is not a problem. Within a laboratory setting, though, many gerbils tend to keep to themselves and refrain from copulation.[32]
Behavior
Gerbils are social animals, and live in groups in the wild.[33] They rely on their sense of smell to identify other members of their clan.[34] Gerbils are known to attack and often kill those carrying an unfamiliar scent. Groups of gerbils often have a "dominant" gerbil which may "bully" the others by humping them.[35]
Relationship with humans
As pets
A gentle and hardy animal, the Mongolian gerbil has become a popular
However, due to the threat they pose to indigenous ecosystems and existing agricultural operations, it is illegal to purchase, import, or keep a gerbil as a pet in the U.S. state of California.[41] It is also illegal to import the animal into New Zealand and Australia.[42][43]
Gerbils are typically not aggressive, and they rarely bite unprovoked or without stress. They are small and easy to handle, since they are sociable creatures that enjoy the company of humans and other gerbils.[44][45] Gerbils also have adapted their kidneys to produce a minimum of waste to conserve body fluids, which makes them very clean with little odor. Gerbils have many different aesthetic coat patterns, such as pied slate, described below.
Health concerns
Misalignment of incisors due to injury or malnutrition may result in overgrowth, which can cause injury to the roof of the mouth. Symptoms include a dropped or loss of appetite, drooling, weight loss, or foul breath.[46]
Common injuries are caused by gerbils being dropped or falling, often while inside of a hamster ball, which can cause broken limbs or a fractured spine (for which there is no treatment).[46][47]
A common problem for all small rodents is neglect, which can cause the gerbils to not receive adequate food and water, causing serious health concerns, including dehydration, starvation, stomach ulcers, eating of bedding material, and cannibalism.[46]
Between 20 and 50% of pet gerbils have the seizure disorder epilepsy.[48] The seizures are thought to be caused by fright, handling, or a new environment. The attacks can be mild to severe, but do not typically appear to have any long-term effects, except for rare cases where death results from very severe seizures.[49] A way to prevent a gerbil from having a seizure is to refrain from blowing in the animal's face (often used to "train" the pet not to bite). This technique is used in a lab environment to induce seizures for medical research.[50]
Gerbils can lose their tails due to improper handling, being attacked by another animal, or getting their tails stuck. The first sign is a loss of fur from the tip of the tail, then, the skinless tail dies off and sloughs, with the stump usually healing without complications.[49]
The most common infectious disease in gerbils is Tyzzer's disease, a bacterial disease, which stress can make animals more susceptible to. It produces symptoms such as ruffled fur, lethargy, hunched posture, poor appetite, diarrhoea, and often death. It quickly spreads between gerbils in close contact.[49]
A problem with the inner ear may cause a gerbil to lean noticeably to one side. This may be caused by ear infections. Gerbils with "extreme white spotting" colouring are susceptible to deafness; this is thought to be due to the lack of pigmentation in and around the ear.[51]
Captive-bred gerbils
Many color varieties of gerbils are available in pet shops today, generally the result of years of selective breeding.
Over 20 different coat colors occur in the Mongolian gerbil, which has been captive-bred the longest.[52]
The fat-tailed gerbil or duprasi is also kept as a pet. They are smaller than the common Mongolian gerbils, and have long, soft coats and short, fat tails, appearing more like a hamster. The variation on the normal duprasi coat is more gray in color, which may be a mutation, or it may be the result of hybrids between the Egyptian and Algerian subspecies of duprasi.[53][54]
White spotting has been reported in not only the Mongolian gerbil, but also the pallid gerbil[55] and possibly Sundervall's Jird.[56]
A long-haired mutation, a grey agouti or chinchilla mutation, white spotting, and possibly a dilute mutation have also appeared in Shaw's jirds,[57] and white spotting and a dilute mutation have shown up in bushy-tailed jirds.[58]
References
- .
- ^ a b Milne-Edwards, Alphonse (1867). "Observations sur quelques mammifères du nord de la Chine". Annales des sciences naturelles. Zoologie et biologie animale. 7 (5): 377. Archived from the original on 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
- OCLC 62265494.
- ISBN 978-1-4443-1877-7.
- ISBN 978-0-8225-2261-4. Archivedfrom the original on 2024-03-05. Retrieved 2019-08-20.
- ^ In from the cold Archived 2022-12-05 at the Wayback Machine. The Guardian. 21 June 2003
- ^ Biodiversity Heritage Library Archived 2023-09-26 at the Wayback Machine Prodromus systematis mammalium et avium additis terminis zoographicis utriusque classis, eorumque versione germanica, Illiger 1811 (PDF)
- ^ The true meaning of Meriones unguiculatus: The Mongolian Gerbil Archived 2020-12-02 at the Wayback Machine. egerbil.com
- ^ "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Archived from the original on 2020-03-04. Retrieved 2019-04-09.
- ^ "Gerbils in the Wild". Archived from the original on 2021-10-16. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
- S2CID 53152632.
- ^ "Statistics of scientific procedures on living animals, Great Britain 2017". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 2019-04-09. Retrieved 2019-04-09.
- PMC 7158315.
This foundation colony was established at Tumblebrook Farm at Brant Lake, NY, founded by Dr. Schwentker.
- ^ PMID 29242387.
- PMID 11336233.
- .
- PMID 25783988.
- .
- S2CID 4551801.
- ISBN 978-0-12-088554-1.
- PMID 12806893.
- PMID 4564648.
- PMID 27427908.
- PMID 29394254.
- PMID 11336232.
- PMID 14691317.
- .
- PMID 29526484.
- PMID 30972478.
- ^ PMID 480901.
- .
- ^ PMID 4675127.
- ^ "PetCoach - Ask a Vet Online for Free, 24/7". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
- ^ "Mongolian Gerbils - Split-caging". Crittery Exotics. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
- ^ Elizabeth Arblaster. "Gerbil split-tanks by Elizabeth Arblaster". eGerbil. Archived from the original on 15 September 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- ^ "Gerbils". huisdiereninfo.nl. Archived from the original on 2010-12-21. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
- ^ Schwentker, V (1963). "The Gerbil. A new laboratory animal". Ill Vet. 6: 5–9.
- JSTOR 4446413.
- ^ "Breeding Gerbils: Your Essential 10-Step Guide". PetEarnest.com. Archived from the original on 2023-10-29. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
- S2CID 215784531.
- ^ See 14 Cal. Code Regs. § 671(c)(2)(J). The prohibition imposed by the California Fish and Game Commission also applies to all other members of order Rodentia, except for "domesticated races" of rats, mice, golden hamsters, guinea pigs, and chinchillas.
- ^ "Prohibited organisms in New Zealand". Environmental Protection Authority. Archived from the original on 5 March 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ Peters, Andrew; Hernandez-Jover, Marta. "It's illegal to have pet hamsters and gerbils in Australia". ABC News Australia. Archived from the original on 2024-01-05. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ Behaviour Archived 2006-12-15 at the Wayback Machine. The Gerbil Information Page. Ed. Karin van Veen. Nov. 2001. Dutch Gerbil Study Group. Gerbil Genetics Group.
- ^ Gerbil Care Handbook Archived 2007-01-18 at the Wayback Machine. The American Gerbil Society.
- ^ a b c "Animal Health Center Vets in Valdosta, GA". Animal Health Center Vets in Valdosta, GA. Archived from the original on 6 February 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
- ^ "Gerbil FAQ". Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
- ^ "Gerbil Care". PetPlace. 13 July 2015. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Michigan Humane Society: Veterinary Care". Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
- S2CID 4551801.
- ^ "Coat Colour Reference Guide". eGerbil. Archived from the original on 8 July 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- ^ Anastasi, Donna. Gerbils: The Complete Guide to Gerbil Care. Irvine: Bowtie Press, 2005.
- ^ "Fat-Tailed Gerbil (Duprasi)." The Gerbil Information Page. Ed. Karin van Veen. Nov. 2001. Dutch Gerbil Study Group. Gerbil Genetics Group. <http://www.gerbil-info.com/html/otherduprasiuk.htm Archived 2014-12-16 at the Wayback Machine>.
- ^ Eddie Cope. "The Fat tail Gerbil ~ Pachyuromys Duprasis". eGerbil. Archived from the original on 8 July 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- ^ Gill Colling. "The Pallid Gerbil ~ Gerbillus perpallidus". Archived from the original on 8 July 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- ^ "Gerbil Genetics."NGS Frontpage. Ed. Julian Barker. 30 Nov. 2004. The National Gerbil Society.<http://www.gerbils.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/gerbils/genetics.htm#Mutations Archived 2006-12-09 at the Wayback Machine>
- ^ "Shaw's Jird (Meriones shawi)". eGerbil. Archived from the original on 8 July 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- ^ "The Bushy Tail Jird ~ Sekeetamys calurus". eGerbil. Archived from the original on 8 July 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2015.