Mar 20 2007, 11:14 PM, updated 17y ago
Fat-tailed Gerbils are so called due to their curious club shaped tails.
Their fur is extremely soft, very similar to the texture of chinchilla fur,
and needs regular maintenance by sand bathing. Fat-tailed gerbils are
not directly related to the mongolian gerbils that are popularly kept as
pets, however, they are a different sub-species of gerbils known as
the Pachyuromys Duprasi. Being a new addition to the ever growing
pet trade,these adorable creatures are slowly but surely winning a
place in our hearts.
Appearance
The placement of their eyes, ears and nose form a V-shape.
Their bodies are stout and their head and body are placed
very close to each other, making the neck seem non-existent.
Their feet appear rather delicate and their tails are covered
with a very thin layer of fur. The fur is naturally soft and silky,
but without regular sand bathing, will deteriorate to a wet look,
as if they were doused in water.
The function of their unusual tails is very similar to a camel.
To store water and fat. So this can be an indicator of health.
A healthy duprasi should have a fat, round tail. However,
young duprasis tend to have leaner tails because they're
still growing. Once they reach adulthood, their tails will grow
significantly larger and plump.
Origin
Duprasis originate from the desserts of Egypt, Libya, Tunisia
and Algeria, though some can be found at the border-line of
Africa and Egypt. They inhabit abandoned burrows or dig
their own, which can reach 1 meter deep. They are believed
to be diurnal but found to be most active during dusk.
Diet
In the wild, they would feed on seeds, vegetation and
insects. As their pointed snouts would suggest that they
are insectivorous, they can be fed crickets, mealworms
and superworms. If you find feeding them insects
inconvenient, then this source of protein can be replaced
by high quality cat food.
Personally, I feed my duprasis a mixture of basic seed mix,
rolled oats, cashewnuts, peanuts, soybeans, flaxseeds and
buckwheat. They also get treats like fruits, veggies, mealworms,
superworms and crickets. I have found that they do not like cat
or dog kibble at all and discarded it after a light nibble.
Here are some recommended brands of mixes.
Behaviour
Though still in the gerbil family, duprasis do not behave like
Mongolian gerbils at all. Their lack of curiousity and energy
resembles more of a syrian hamster. They are hardcore chewers
so when choosing housing and toys, be sure to avoid plastic and
anything poisonous. They rarely bite and more often will give you
a sudden light nip to the finger, like testing whether you're edible.
Usually, when you pick it up, they would just sit and freeze on your
palm, before exploring your hand after a few minutes. I have a
female duprasi that will freeze upside down in my palm and it looks
very comical. >.< They love to dig and sand bathe. Sand bathing
also helps them to release stress.
Duprasis can live in small colonies as well as in solitude.
They can live in single sex groups but be sure to house them in a
large enough enclosure as duprasis are territorial and may argue
for space. Arguments and squabbles among them can get ugly as
they will bite each others tails and I've seen a female rip a significant
amount of skin from another female as well as maiming her tail.
It looked as if someone tried to skin her halfway on her side. She
was separated into her own enclosure where she made full recovery.
Housing
As they love to dig, they should be housed in a tank or aquarium rather
than a cage. It should measure around 40x60cm for 2 to 4 gerbils and a
thick layer of bedding as well as a bowl of chinchilla bathing sand should
be provided. A nesting/hide box can also be provided, along with any chew
safe toys like ceramic bowls, houses etc. Cardboard rolls and boxes are
great editions as it will help maintain their teeth and occupy their time.
Duprasi Owner's List
1) Reanne
2) Crazymouse_yyh - 1 male ~ Checkers - 1 female ~ Pumpkin
3) Rena_blue - 1 male ~ Kushi
4) Carenys55 - 1 male ~ Toby
This post has been edited by Reanne: Apr 27 2008, 11:10 PM
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