Transcript ALAT Chapter 20 - AZ Branch AALAS Homepage

Chapter Twenty
Gerbils
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Gerbils
 Known for its handling, temperament,
environmental changes & low occurrence of
natural diseases.
 Gerbils = “jird” or “desert rat”
 Native to Mongolia & northeastern China.
 Used to study stroke & epilepsy.
Handling & Restraint
 Gently grasp base of tail & lift from cage.
Do not pick up by tip of the tail! Skin may tear off &
expose vertebrae.
 Cup both hands under & gently lift from cage.
 Restraint is similar to restraint used for a mouse.
Grasp loose skin at back of neck w/ thumb & index
finger of other hand.
With back of gerbil in palm of your hand, grasp tail with
little finger.
Physiological Data
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Body temperature: 96.3°- 102.7°F
Heart rate: 260 - 600 / min
Respiratory rate: 70 -120 / min
Weight: adult 70 - 90 gm; newborn 3 gm
Water consumption: 3 - 6 ml / day or 4 - 7 ml /
100 gm body weight daily
 Food consumption: 47 gm / day or 5 - 8 gm per
100 gm body weight daily
 Feces/Urine: similar to mouse
 Life span: 2 - 4 years
Sexing & Breeding
 Form monogamous pairs
Attempts to separate pairs to mate with another animal
are unsuccessful & can result in fighting & death.
 Establish breeding pairs before reach maturity.
 ID sex by anogenital distance, longer in male.
 Have a postpartum estrus.
 Sexual maturity: 70 - 84 days
 Estrous cycle: polyestrus (every 4 - 6 days)
 Gestation: 24 - 26 days
 Litter size: 4 - 5
 Weaning: 21 days
Behavior
 Clean, docile and curious
 Desert animal & adapted to efficient use of water.
 Little odor compared to other rodents.
 “Cyclic activity” or intermittent periods of highlevel activity followed by periods of rest or sleep.
 Male and female have ventral marking gland.
 Foot stomping is a commonly heard sound.
integral part of the sex ritual
also a means of communicating danger
 Approximately 20% have epileptic seizures.
usually result of handling, loud noises or excitement
appear to freeze, twitch or kick
Husbandry
 Housed in shoebox cages w/ contact bedding.
 Single & group housing systems both used.
 Also housed in suspended wire-bottom cages.
 Shoebox cages should be changed 1x/ wk.
 Shelving & cage racks should be sanitized at
least 1x/ 2 wks, & pans cleaned at least 2x/ wk.
Diet
 Fed same rodent diet suitable for rats & mice.
 Drink very little water, but always provide.
Additional Reading
Anderson, R.S. and A.T.B Edney. Practical Animal Handling.
Pergamon Press, Oxford, UK. 1991.
Field, Karl, and Amber Sibold. The Laboratory Hamster and
Gerbil. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. 1998.
Harkness, J.E. and J.E. Wagner. The Biology and Medicine
of Rabbits and Rodents. Williams and Wilkins. 1995.
Hrapkiewicz, Karen, Leticia Medina, and Donald D. Holmes.
Clinical Laboratory Animal Medicine: An Introduction, 2nd
Ed. Iowa State University Press, Ames, IA. 1997.
Laber-Laird, K., M.M. Swindle, P. Flecknell, Handbook of
Rodent and Rabbit Medicine. Pergamon Press, Oxford,
UK. 1996.