Gerbils are cute small rodents known for their rich expressions and behaviors, and they can establish close relationships with humans. Gerbils are also highly prolific animals, capable of producing up to 100 offspring in a year. However, sometimes gerbils exhibit behaviors that are difficult for humans to understand, such as eating their own offspring.
This behavior shocks and confuses many gerbil owners, who may even question the maternal instincts of gerbils. So why do gerbils eat their own offspring? What are the reasons behind this behavior? This article will explore this issue from several aspects:
The natural instinct of gerbils to eat their offspring
We need to understand that gerbils eating their offspring is not a cruel or abnormal behavior, but rather a natural instinct and a survival strategy and adaptation in the wild. Gerbils’ ancestors were animals living in deserts and grasslands, facing many threats and pressures such as lack of food and water, predation by predators, and climate changes. In such an environment, gerbils must take measures to ensure their own and their offspring’s survival. Therefore, the behavior of gerbils eating their offspring can be understood from the following two aspects:
Survival strategy
Ensuring the survival of the mother gerbil and the remaining offspring: The gestation period of gerbils is only 16 to 18 days, and gerbils can mate immediately after giving birth. This means that the mother gerbil bears a heavy burden and needs to consume a lot of energy and nutrients. If the number of gerbil offspring is too high, or the demands of the offspring are too high, the mother gerbil may not be able to meet the nursing and warming needs of all the offspring. To ensure her own and the remaining offspring’s survival, the mother gerbil may choose to eat some of the offspring to replenish her energy and nutrients and reduce her burden.
Managing resources by reducing the number of offspring: Food and water sources for gerbils in the wild are limited and unstable. If the number of gerbil offspring is too high, they may face a shortage of resources, which can affect the growth and development of the offspring, and even lead to death. To avoid this situation, the mother gerbil may choose to eat some of the offspring to reduce competition for resources and increase the survival chances of the remaining offspring.
Evolutionary adaptation
Optimizing breeding strategies: Gerbils are highly prolific animals, capable of producing up to 100 offspring in a year. However, not all offspring can survive because gerbils face many dangers in the wild, such as predation by predators, infection with diseases, and changes in the environment. In order to increase the survival rate of their offspring, gerbils may choose to eat some of the offspring to ensure their own vitality and health, so that they can mate again in a short period of time and produce more offspring. In this way, gerbils can offset the disadvantage in quality with their advantage in quantity, thereby optimizing evolution.
Frequent reproduction to increase the survival rate of offspring: Gerbil offspring can be weaned in just three to four weeks after birth, become sexually mature in six to eight weeks, and live independently in ten to twelve weeks. This means that gerbil offspring grow very fast, and gerbils themselves have a relatively short lifespan, usually only two to three years. In order to maximize the spread of their genes within a limited time, gerbils may choose to eat some of the offspring to shorten their lactation period, so that they can mate again more quickly and produce more offspring. In this way, gerbils can increase the survival rate of their offspring through frequent reproduction, thus achieving evolutionary adaptation.
External factors for gerbils eating their offspring
Secondly, we must understand that the behavior of gerbils eating their offspring is not a fixed pattern, but can be influenced by external factors such as environmental changes and health conditions. Although pet gerbils no longer live in the wild, they are still affected by the artificial environment, such as the size of the cage, food supply, and human interference. These factors can increase stress and anxiety in gerbils, leading to the behavior of eating their offspring. Therefore, the behavior of gerbils eating their offspring can be understood from the following two aspects:
Environmental stress
Insufficient cage space: Gerbils are very active and curious animals. They like to explore and play in their cage, and they are also social animals that need interaction and communication with companions. If the cage space for gerbils is insufficient or there is a shortage of toys and accessories, gerbils may feel suppressed and bored, and even exhibit aggressive and fighting behaviors. If the number of gerbil offspring is too high or the activities of the offspring are too frequent, the mother gerbil may feel anxious and nervous, and may choose to eat some offspring to reduce overcrowding and chaos in the cage.
Inadequate food supply: Gerbils are omnivorous animals that need to eat a variety of foods to meet their nutritional and energy needs. Gerbil food includes feed, fruits, vegetables, hay, seeds, nuts, etc. If the food supply for gerbils is insufficient or the quality is poor, gerbils may feel hungry and dissatisfied, and even experience malnutrition and diseases. If the number of gerbil offspring is too high or the offspring’s appetite is too large, the mother gerbil may feel overwhelmed and choose to eat some offspring to replenish her own food and nutrients, while reducing the demand for food.
Excessive human interference: Gerbils are very sensitive and alert animals, and they are very sensitive to changes and threats from the outside world. Gerbils need a quiet and comfortable environment to relax and rest, otherwise they may feel tense and fearful, and even experience stress and anxiety. If gerbil owners or other humans excessively interfere with gerbils, such as frequently opening the cage, grabbing or touching gerbils, taking photos or videos of gerbils, creating noise or light, gerbils may feel uneasy and panic, and may choose to eat some offspring to protect themselves and the remaining offspring while relieving their own stress and discomfort.
Health issues
Poor health condition of the mother gerbil: Mother gerbils face many health risks during pregnancy and lactation, such as infection, bleeding, mastitis, uterine inflammation, pyometra, uterine prolapse, etc. These health problems can affect the physical and mental state of the mother gerbil, causing a decline in her physical strength and immunity, and even endangering her life. If the mother gerbil is in poor health, she may choose to eat some offspring to lighten her burden and avoid the impact of her own diseases on the offspring.
Poor health condition of the offspring: Gerbil offspring face many health risks after birth, such as congenital defects, developmental delays, infections, injuries, and death. These health issues can affect the growth and development of the offspring, causing a decrease in their size and vitality, and even endangering their lives. If the health condition of the offspring is poor, the mother gerbil may choose to eat some offspring to reduce her nursing and protective responsibilities and avoid inflicting more pain and suffering on the offspring.
Individual differences in gerbils eating their offspring
Finally, we should note that the behavior of gerbils eating their offspring is not a universal phenomenon, but varies depending on individual gerbils, such as behavioral differences, genetic and physiological factors, etc. As animals with complex emotions and intelligence, gerbils can have different personalities and habits, and their behavior and reactions are also influenced by their gender and age. Therefore, the behavior of gerbils eating their offspring can be understood from the following two aspects:
Individual behavioral differences
Maternal behavior of the mother gerbil: After giving birth to offspring, mother gerbils display varying degrees of maternal behaviors, such as nursing, warming, cleaning, protecting, and educating. These maternal behaviors are the instinct of gerbils and also the result of their learning and experience. If the maternal behavior of the mother gerbil is strong, she may be very caring and protective of her offspring and would not easily eat them. If the maternal behavior of the mother gerbil is weak, she may be indifferent to her offspring, or even neglect or harm them, resulting in the behavior of eating the offspring. Therefore, we should pay attention to the maternal behavior of the mother gerbil, such as whether she frequently interacts with her offspring, provides sufficient nursing and warming, cleans the offspring’s excrement, protects the offspring from external threats, teaches the offspring how to live and play, etc. If the mother gerbil eats the offspring, we can:
Intervene in a timely manner
Artificial intervention when necessary: Although the behavior of gerbils eating their offspring is a natural instinct, it can be a very sad and uncomfortable experience for gerbil owners. If we want to protect gerbil offspring, we can intervene artificially when necessary, such as separating the offspring from the mother gerbil or the father gerbil after birth, or placing the offspring in a safe place where they can grow safely. However, we should note that these artificial interventions may bring risks and consequences, such as affecting the maternal bonding between gerbils or increasing the chances of stress, discomfort, and disease in gerbils or even the death of gerbils. Therefore, before conducting artificial intervention, we should fully understand the habits and needs of gerbils and the pros and cons of artificial intervention in order to make wise decisions.
Identify the best time for intervention: Although the behavior of gerbils eating their offspring is a natural instinct, it is not an unchanging phenomenon and can vary depending on the state and environment of gerbils. If we want to intervene artificially, we need to identify the best time for intervention to avoid unnecessary harm and disturbance to gerbils. Generally, the behavior of gerbils eating their offspring occurs during the following periods:
1: Within a few hours after the mother gerbil gives birth to offspring. This is the period when gerbils are most likely to eat their offspring because the mother gerbil’s physical and mental state is unstable, and the survival chances of the offspring are also low.
2: During the lactation period of the mother gerbil. This is the period when gerbils are more likely to eat their offspring because the mother gerbil has high energy and nutritional needs, and the demands of the offspring are also high.
3: During the weaning period of the mother gerbil. This is the period when gerbils are less likely to eat their offspring because the burden and stress on the mother gerbil are reduced, and the survival chances of the offspring are increased. Based on these periods, we can choose to intervene artificially within a few hours after the mother gerbil gives birth to offspring or during the lactation period to protect the gerbil offspring. However, we should note that these periods are not absolute, but vary depending on individual gerbils. Therefore, we need to judge the best time for intervention based on the specific situation of gerbils.
Conclusion:
Through this article, we can understand that the behavior of gerbils eating their offspring is a complex phenomenon involving gerbils’ natural instincts, external factors, individual differences, etc. Although this behavior is difficult for us to understand and accept, we should try to understand and respect gerbils’ instincts and behavior from their perspective. At the same time, we should strive to provide gerbils with a suitable living environment, monitor their health and behavior, and intervene timely to protect gerbil offspring while ensuring the happiness and health of gerbils themselves. Finally, we should remember that gerbils are very cute and interesting animals that can establish close relationships with us and bring us a lot of joy and warmth. We should cherish every moment with gerbils and create a wonderful life for both gerbils and ourselves.
