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Scientific Name: |
Gerbillus nanus
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This is a gerbil species I got from a friend in Germany. There is nothing known about their origin. Recently someone in Germany showed me similar animals, they where supposed to be offspring of wild caught animals, and where determined as Gerbillus nanus. Scientific literature has learned me that they do match the description of the Baluchistan gerbil, so I am quite sure it is Baluchistan gerbil I have here.
They are beautiful animals! Very tame!
Following are a few pictures
In this picture you can see an adult male, here his thick neck is visible. The males have a very fatty neck, when they are adult, females don't have that.
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Their head and body length is about 90-100 mm long, the tail adds another 120-130 mm. The tail is extremely long and has a clear tuft. Their overall colour varies from orange-red with hardly any ticking to more brown sandy, with clear ticking. The under parts are white, there are also white hairs above the eyes and behind the ears. The rim of the ears are grayish brown coloured. The soles are naked, the nails are brown-white coloured. The main, clear difference between this species and Wagner’s gerbil (Gerbillus dasyurus) is that the Baluchistan gerbil has a spot of hairs directly above the basis of the tail which have a white hair basis, whereas Wagner’s gerbil lacks this spot.
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Marocco to Somalia, also Western India (G. n. indus)
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G.n.indus was found near river banks and in gravel plains, as well as in sandy plains and sand dunes in Rajasthan desert.
In Arabia and northern Africa the Baluchistan gerbil was found to share burrows with Meriones crassus and Meriones libycus. They live in simple burrows which where constructed on salt flats.
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In the wild Baluchistan gerbils seem to breed during two periods: one period in winter and one in the summer. In captivity they seem to breed all year round. average litter size is about 4-5.
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Maintenance and behaviour in captivity:
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They are very docile in a group. They never seem to fight or argue. I was also able to put two groups together without any problems. Towards humans they are extremely docile. They don't seem to have any fear.
They are nocturnal, but when wakened during day time, they are curious as always.
Because of their fine fur, they need to be kept on sand, or at least need a permanent sand bath.
Mine love to run in a running wheel!
They feed on small seeds, as other Gerbillus species, and like to eat some (dried) insects once in a while as well.
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