A suitable environment for gerbils

Make sure your gerbils have a suitable place to live

Facts

Wild gerbils live in dry climates, in large, deep burrows that they dig themselves to protect them from extremes of weather and from predators.
Gerbils have fur on the soles of their feet and so do not climb well.
Gerbils naturally build nests.
Gerbils communicate using ultrasonic frequencies so are sensitive to some sounds that we cannot hear.
Gerbils excrete small amounts of highly concentrated urine and dry droppings.
Gerbils have an acute sense of smell.
Gerbils claws need to be worn down through regular digging or walking on rough surfaces or they may grow too long.

Provide your gerbils with a comfortable, dry, draught-free, clean place to live, in a quiet place where they can rest undisturbed. Make sure they are not exposed to draughty or damp conditions but also do not keep them in direct sunlight or next to a radiator. An ideal temperature range is 20-24°C.
Provide your gerbils with a gerbilarium large enough to provide shelter, opportunities to dig and space to exercise, with adequate bedding and nesting material; see
Gerbil housing advice (PDF 101 KB).
Make sure you house your gerbils away from items in the home which can generate ultrasound, such as television sets, computer screens, vacuum cleaners or sources of running water.
Make sure your gerbilarium is kept clean. Do not allow the bedding material to become damp or smelly. Clean once a week or fortnight as required.
However, cleaning can be stressful and removing all odours may trigger fighting so transfer a small amount of used but unsoiled bedding and nesting material when you clean out your gerbilarium.
Provide a rough-surfaced object such as a stone to help wear down claws and give further structure to burrows. These also provide suitable places for scent-marking.