Unfortunately yes – but not in a nasty way – they aren’t evil (although the outcome can need veterinary appointments). They are just acting out a predictable and essential pattern of behavior.
Gerbils usually fight due to what is called a de-clan.
Gerbils live in clans – where one gerbil needs to be the overall total boss – and the other or others need to fall into line behind them – like in the Services. No questions asked – you just do as you are told and when you are told.
When this boss is weakened, taken out of the enclosure for too long or a new gerbil is added – it can – and usually always will – end in a fight with one gerbil attacking the other. Or others.
Gerbils who don’t know each other are most likely to trigger a gerbil attack too – as, in nature – they have to protect their clan and their space. Putting two unknown gerbils together (or two gerbils who were living together but have now been apart for more than 48 hours) will most likely trigger an instant fight.
It doesn’t mean they don’t like each other – or they couldn’t get on as a new clan and live together forever – it just won’t happen instantly. They need to build up to it (see split intro details further down the page).
Why would gerbils attack each other?
Well, as said above – in an existing clan – one gerbil needs to be the Boss – and the others need to do as they are told.
But what if you don’t want to do as you are told?
If you think that you can be a better Boss you have to take the old Boss down. They won’t just agree to it of course – and this is where the declan begins.
You have to start bullying them and pushing them around a bit and see what their weaknesses are – so you can learn how to get to them faster. If they are already acting a bit weaker or are ill – this is made even easier.
Also in a group or trio this can be triggered if the smell of the clan is upset by a new smell (new gerbil/shared toys/shared play-space). The upriser can try to get everyone confused at this point and gang up on the old Boss.
Can you prevent a gerbil attack?
Yes you can – but it isn’t easy – or cheap sometimes!
Firstly, never put unknown gerbils together in the same space – even in a giant bath tub and covered in vanilla extract. Gerbils really don’t like to make instant friends – and can really injure each other in the process of letting you know that. Instant bonding can happen in rare cases, but it isn’t worth the potential pain and stress it can cause the little tykes if they aren’t the lucky ones.
That is why we have the Split Tank Method – a safe, slow and almost 100% assured way to make permanent gerbil friends. And before you ask – there isn’t a safe quicker way to do it – that is why this is the way. If there was a quicker safer way – that would become the current way wouldn’t it?
See http://www.rodentzone.com/how-do-i-do-a-split-tank-introduction/ for more details on doing a split tank introduction.
Secondly – with existing clans – avoid all chances of scent transfer from your enrichment and play zones between clans. Don’t let them share toys or cages, carriers, nests, etc. Yes, you can give everything a really good clean before switching things between one clan and the next – absolutely – but it is best if they all have their own stuff – or you only use it one way. So if you have a single gerbil – you can have them in the run or carrier second as they can’t declan being on their own and all.
And especially never share something from females to males. They won’t be able to help themselves with a hormone surge!
Thirdly, avoid having them apart for too long for whatever reasons – and always consider their feelings over your own. So if your favororite gerbil of a pair always wants to come out to play but then fights the other one when you put them back together – stop handling the one on its own. Sometimes the very fact of being handled can trigger scuffles between a clan!
Same at the vets. Always take THE ENTIRE CLAN to the vets in the same carrier – even if they are staying in for treatment. It is best for all gerbils to smell the same at the same time.
What Are The Signs Of A Gerbil Attack?
A bit trickier to control – but there are almost always clues to a declan in progress. It just isn’t always easy to spot them.
Basically, in nature if there was an uprising and the old Boss lost or wanted to run away – they just would run for miles – and there would be no fight.
Gerbils are very polite and give plenty of warning that they want them gone (see chasing and isolating below) but in a tank – there is nowhere to go. The loser is trapped. The polite warnings then get harsher and harsher (Why won’t they just leave already?) until eventually the new Boss feels they have no option but to attack and draw blood.
Read the full article http://www.rodentzone.com/what-are-the-signs-of-a-gerbil-declan/ for indepth details – but basically if you see any of the following you could be heading down the declan path:
- One gerbil sitting or sleeping alone on a perch or high up on something (image below)
- Any gerbils with more than one scab on their tail or rump (image below)
- Seeing one gerbil always chasing another – and who stop when you are seen
- Hearing banging against the side of the tank – but can’t see anything when you look
So, it is your job as the owner of that clan – to spot these signs – and to release the loser from what is a very stressful situation. Imagine living somewhere you don’t feel safe?
This means a whole new tank for them alone if it was a pair or trio, or with one of the other gerbils if it was a foursome or more. They can’t ever go back together with the new Boss, that time has passed for them – but they can make a new friend for sure (see http://www.rodentzone.com/split-tank-introductions-what-is-a-split-tank/).
Do gerbils fight for any other reason?
No. Gerbils only fight for the right to either a) be the new Boss (and this includes when working on a new split introduction too – not just in an existing tank) or b) for the right to breed (not fully understood – but usually the reason why males declan when enrichment or runs are shared with females).
Gerbils very rarely kill each other either – either you find a really beaten up gerbil in a full declan where you missed all the lead up signs – or they might eat parts of a gerbil who had died naturally and people might assume they killed each other.
Gerbils are very polite and bonded animals.
However saying that – if you are buying gerbils from scratch and have a choice – 2 same-sex siblings are the best combination. These usually get on fine as they are and can help to avoid gerbils attacking each other in a declan. A trio of brothers (or dad and sons) is usually fine too – but a trio or mother and daughters is best avoided.
If you are buying or rescuing gerbils that are in any other number or age combination above 2 – don’t split them up when you home them – certainly don’t leave half at the rescue!
It is best to keep them all together* – as they have already agreed between them on a clan structure and its Boss. If you just pull out two of them – you won’t know how important they were in the existing clan structure and could cause a new power struggle – not only in your two themselves – but in the ones you left behind as well.
Yes, of course they might all declan anyway down the line if you keep them together in a large group – but why bring that forward unnecessarily? Just watch out for the signs and have a spare tank (or two) ready.
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*Obviously if they are a mixed sex group – this will need to be done to prevent more litters.
Even though we would recommend you initially should keep all the females together – female gerbils should birth alone (otherwise there is a chance they will eat each other’s babies) so that means using weighing scales and having plenty of spare tanks handy. Don’t split them up beforehand otherwise if they aren’t pregnant, you could end up with loads of single females – which are harder to split back together!
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Which Gerbil Split Back Together The Easiest?
If you are splitting together new gerbils – it is best to find a single gerbil around the same age and sex as the one you have currently single. These might not be the easiest introductions, but they will last the longest.
Alternatively get yourself one single very young pup of the same sex and split together in just a few days. Many people don’t like this as they think they will be left with another single gerbil at the end – but we think it is better than a declan if you try two pups in the split.
Lots of people get two young pups to put with an older single adult gerbil – and they will split together in the same few short days as a single pup would (as very young pups don’t care who they snuggle). It is when they grow up and become adults themselves that the trouble can begin. It is then 2 against one – and in around 50% of cases the older original gerbil is beaten up within a year and on their own again – covered in bites.
It doesn’t always happen – but we have seen it too many times and won’t let it happen to another older gerbil that we love.