Fat-tailed Gerbil
Encyclopedia
Pachyuromys duprasi is a rodent
belonging to subfamily Gerbillinae. It is the only member of the genus Pachyuromys. These rodents are the most docile species
of the Gerbil
subfamily. Often called the Fat-tailed Gerbil or Duprasi Gerbil. Other common English
names: Fat-tailed Jird, Fat-tailed Rat, Beer Mat Gerbil. Names in other languages: Abu Lya (Arabic
), Souris à grosse queue (French
), Fettschwanzrennmaus (German
), Fedthale Mus (Danish
), Rasvahäntägerbiili (Finnish
), Dikstaartgerbil (Dutch
). They have a fluffy and soft fur. Fat-tailed gerbils are very new on the pet
market.
, but unlike a hamster they have a pointed snout and a fat, almost bald, club-shaped tail from which they gets their common name of 'fat-tailed gerbil'. The fat-tailed gerbil stores fat and water in its tail, in the same way that the camel
stores fat in its hump. Therefore, a healthy fat-tailed gerbil should have a nicely rounded tail. It is this tail which makes them easy to distinguish from all other gerbil species.
specimens of the fat-tailed gerbil have a life span of between 5 and 8 years. In the wild, they are unlikely to reach this age.
, Algeria
. He was the first to describe the animal in detail in Le Naturaliste.
Fat-tailed gerbils are originally found in the Northern Sahara
(North-western Egypt
, Libya
, Tunisia
, and Algeria
). There they live in sparsely vegetated sand sheets or rocky deserts
. In the wild, fat-tailed gerbils live in simple burrows about one meter deep, in hard sandy soil. They may also occupy burrows of other species'.
, moths
, and almost any other insect
, even beetles. In addition, they can also be given some vegetables and fruit
, like carrots, cauliflower, chicory, and apples. Because fat-tailed gerbils originated in dry areas and are not used to food which has high moisture content, they can get diarrhea
after eating too much fruit and vegetable matter. Branches and twigs are rich in vitamins and very suitable besides their basic food, especially in winter. It is also good for their teeth, because they keep growing their whole life and by gnawing they keep their incisors at the right length. Hay is also very good for fat-tailed gerbils, because of its high fibre content.
/ terrarium). It should measure at least 60x40 cm (24” x 16”) for 2-4 gerbils. Fat-tailed gerbils are fond of digging, so it is important to provide them with a thick layer of bedding. Wood shavings can be used, but not pine
or redcedar
wood shavings; many rodents can react allergically to them, and may develop respiratory problems. Aspen wood shavings are considered to be the best. They also need to take a sand bath regularly to prevent their fur from becoming greasy. Fat-tailed gerbils will make a nest; this may be underground in their burrow, on the surface in the bedding, or in a nesting box. Fat-tailed gerbils can be kept occupied by giving them gerbil toys, for example an exercise wheel. Keeping a breeding pair can be somewhat difficult. It is possible to keep fat-tailed gerbils singly, like Syrian hamsters.
. This gerbil species is active for some very short periods in between longer periods of sleep, and they are very deep sleepers. They sometimes go into a state similar to hibernation
, but not true hibernation. Fat-tailed gerbils are very docile and almost never bite. People say even that wild fat-tailed gerbils that are trapped can even be handled right away without being bitten. They seem to lack the curiosity of the Mongolian gerbil, and behave more like a Syrian hamster than a gerbil. Fat-tailed gerbils spend a lot of time grooming their fur and washing their face. They like to dig a lot and take sand baths. They also enjoy running on exercise wheels.
When they fight,they shriek loudly and bite each other's tails . The mating ritual of the fat-tailed gerbil may also be confused with fighting.
Male fat-tailed gerbils, like most other rodents, have scent glands on their stomach
and engage in marking their territory
by stretching out and rubbing their bellies on the ground and furnishings. Their scent markings don’t seem to be discernible to people and there is no noticeable odour from their cage like with hamsters or mice
.
size is 3 to 6, and the pups are weaned at 3-4 weeks.
Breeding fat-tailed gerbils in captivity can be hard, as the females can be very aggressive when they are pregnant or nursing pups. They will attack the male, and even kill her mate if he is not housed separately after mating has taken place. The chance of a female housed with a male becoming pregnant is much less than it is with Mongolian gerbils. A proven method to breed fat-tailed gerbils it putting a male and a female together in a rather small tank with nothing else in it than some bedding material. No nesting box, nothing to play with, no food dish. This way there is really nothing the animals can fight about. They can’t become territorial because of the small space and because there are no points to use as demarcation. With this method it is needed to keep the male and female together for one week and then separate them and put them in a nice big tank with all kind of furnishings, most likely the female is already pregnant.
The mating
ritual of the fat-tailed gerbil is rather unusual. Both male and female stand on their hind legs and wrestle, making squeaking noise. They never seem to actually bite each other, but they get rather rowdy. If the female is not receptive and the male doesn’t give up, the female will turn and kick bedding at the male. The female will make a nest and get a little nippy when she will be ready to have her litter. They are good mothers. It is the best to remove the male, not because a problem with the male, but because the female gets stressed and may attack the male.
After the litter is weaned, it's best to let the mother rest and recuperate for at least a month before re-introducing the male.
has appeared. This fat-tailed gerbil is greyer in colour. But not everyone is sure that it is a colour mutation. It is also possible that these grey fat-tailed gerbils are from the Egyptian subspecies
Pachyuromys duprasi natronensis. The juvenile coat of these gerbils is very grey but faded with age to a much more sandy colour. Some hybrids of the Egyptian and the Algerian subspecies have this grey coat as well, although it does lighten with age but is still greyish. Nothing else is known at this time.
they are quite common. Occasionally they can be found in a pet shop, but most don’t have them.
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
belonging to subfamily Gerbillinae. It is the only member of the genus Pachyuromys. These rodents are the most docile species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of the Gerbil
Gerbil
A gerbil is a small mammal of the order Rodentia. Once known simply as "desert rats", the gerbil subfamily includes about 110 species of African, Indian, and Asian rodents, including sand rats and jirds, all of which are adapted to arid habitats...
subfamily. Often called the Fat-tailed Gerbil or Duprasi Gerbil. Other common English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
names: Fat-tailed Jird, Fat-tailed Rat, Beer Mat Gerbil. Names in other languages: Abu Lya (Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
), Souris à grosse queue (French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
), Fettschwanzrennmaus (German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
), Fedthale Mus (Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
), Rasvahäntägerbiili (Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
), Dikstaartgerbil (Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
). They have a fluffy and soft fur. Fat-tailed gerbils are very new on the pet
Pet
A pet is a household animal kept for companionship and a person's enjoyment, as opposed to wild animals or to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals or sport animals, which are kept for economic or productive reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful...
market.
Appearance
The Fat-tailed gerbil is a medium sized gerbil. Its body length is about 10 cm (4”), with a tail length of about 5 cm (2”). This gerbil has a thick, soft, fluffy coat. The hair at the back and the head is yellow-coloured, with a dark grey basis and a small black tip. The belly is clear white. Fat-tailed gerbils weigh about 40 grams. Their body is round and somewhat flattened. They have no clear neck and a very sharp face, with large oval-shaped black eyes. The ears of this species are low positioned, which gives this species a fox-like head. The legs are comparatively short for a gerbil. They look similar to a hamsterHamster
Hamsters are rodents belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae. The subfamily contains about 25 species, classified in six or seven genera....
, but unlike a hamster they have a pointed snout and a fat, almost bald, club-shaped tail from which they gets their common name of 'fat-tailed gerbil'. The fat-tailed gerbil stores fat and water in its tail, in the same way that the camel
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
stores fat in its hump. Therefore, a healthy fat-tailed gerbil should have a nicely rounded tail. It is this tail which makes them easy to distinguish from all other gerbil species.
Lifespan
CaptiveCaptivity (animal)
Animals that live under human care are in captivity. Captivity can be used as a generalizing term to describe the keeping of either domesticated animals or wild animals. This may include for example farms, private homes and zoos...
specimens of the fat-tailed gerbil have a life span of between 5 and 8 years. In the wild, they are unlikely to reach this age.
Origin
French zoologist, Fernand Lataste, discovered Pachyuromys duprasi in 1880 in LaghouatLaghouat
Laghouat is the capital city of the Laghouat Province, Algeria, 400 km south of the Algerian capital Algiers in the Atlas Mountains. As of 2005, the population of the city was 126,291 inhabitants. Nearby, in Hassi R'Mel, there is the largest natural gas reserve in Africa.The city was founded in...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
. He was the first to describe the animal in detail in Le Naturaliste.
Fat-tailed gerbils are originally found in the Northern Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
(North-western Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, and Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
). There they live in sparsely vegetated sand sheets or rocky deserts
Déserts
Déserts is a piece by Edgard Varèse for brass , percussion , piano, and tape. Percussion instruments are exploited for their resonant potential, rather than used solely as accompaniment...
. In the wild, fat-tailed gerbils live in simple burrows about one meter deep, in hard sandy soil. They may also occupy burrows of other species'.
Food
The Fat-tailed gerbils are, as their pointed snout would suggest, mostly insectivorous in the wild, but will eat also a variety of plants. In captivity, they are kept on normal basic rodent mix, used to feed Mongolian gerbils or hamsters. They are particularly fond of mealworms, cricketsCricket (insect)
Crickets, family Gryllidae , are insects somewhat related to grasshoppers, and more closely related to katydids or bush crickets . They have somewhat flattened bodies and long antennae. There are about 900 species of crickets...
, moths
Moths
Moths may refer to:* Gustav Moths , German rower* The Moths!, an English indie rock band* MOTHS, members of the Memorable Order of Tin Hats...
, and almost any other insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
, even beetles. In addition, they can also be given some vegetables and fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
, like carrots, cauliflower, chicory, and apples. Because fat-tailed gerbils originated in dry areas and are not used to food which has high moisture content, they can get diarrhea
Diarrhea
Diarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having three or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day. It is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide. The loss of fluids through diarrhea can cause dehydration and...
after eating too much fruit and vegetable matter. Branches and twigs are rich in vitamins and very suitable besides their basic food, especially in winter. It is also good for their teeth, because they keep growing their whole life and by gnawing they keep their incisors at the right length. Hay is also very good for fat-tailed gerbils, because of its high fibre content.
Housing
The best way to keep fat-tailed gerbils is in a tank (aquariumAquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
/ terrarium). It should measure at least 60x40 cm (24” x 16”) for 2-4 gerbils. Fat-tailed gerbils are fond of digging, so it is important to provide them with a thick layer of bedding. Wood shavings can be used, but not pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
or redcedar
Juniperus virginiana
Juniperus virginiana is a species of juniper native to eastern North America, from southeastern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, east of the Great Plains...
wood shavings; many rodents can react allergically to them, and may develop respiratory problems. Aspen wood shavings are considered to be the best. They also need to take a sand bath regularly to prevent their fur from becoming greasy. Fat-tailed gerbils will make a nest; this may be underground in their burrow, on the surface in the bedding, or in a nesting box. Fat-tailed gerbils can be kept occupied by giving them gerbil toys, for example an exercise wheel. Keeping a breeding pair can be somewhat difficult. It is possible to keep fat-tailed gerbils singly, like Syrian hamsters.
Behaviour
Fat-tailed gerbils are sociable animals, and sometimes live in colonies, but can also live solitary (alone). In the wild fat-tailed gerbils become active at dusk. In captivity fat-tailed gerbils seem to be diurnalDiurnal animal
Diurnality is a plant or animal behavior characterized by activity during the day and sleeping at night.-In animals:Animals that are not diurnal might be nocturnal or crepuscular . Many animal species are diurnal, including many mammals, insects, reptiles and birds...
. This gerbil species is active for some very short periods in between longer periods of sleep, and they are very deep sleepers. They sometimes go into a state similar to hibernation
Hibernation
Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. Hibernating animals conserve food, especially during winter when food supplies are limited, tapping energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate...
, but not true hibernation. Fat-tailed gerbils are very docile and almost never bite. People say even that wild fat-tailed gerbils that are trapped can even be handled right away without being bitten. They seem to lack the curiosity of the Mongolian gerbil, and behave more like a Syrian hamster than a gerbil. Fat-tailed gerbils spend a lot of time grooming their fur and washing their face. They like to dig a lot and take sand baths. They also enjoy running on exercise wheels.
When they fight,they shriek loudly and bite each other's tails . The mating ritual of the fat-tailed gerbil may also be confused with fighting.
Male fat-tailed gerbils, like most other rodents, have scent glands on their stomach
Stomach
The stomach is a muscular, hollow, dilated part of the alimentary canal which functions as an important organ of the digestive tract in some animals, including vertebrates, echinoderms, insects , and molluscs. It is involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication .The stomach is...
and engage in marking their territory
Territory (animal)
In ethology the term territory refers to any sociographical area that an animal of a particular species consistently defends against conspecifics...
by stretching out and rubbing their bellies on the ground and furnishings. Their scent markings don’t seem to be discernible to people and there is no noticeable odour from their cage like with hamsters or mice
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
.
Breeding
Fat-tailed gerbils are sexually mature when they are 2 months old, and in captivity they reproduce the whole year round. The gestation period of the fat-tailed gerbil is 19 days. Their average litterLitter (animal)
A litter is the offspring at one birth of animals from the same mother and usually from one set of parents. The word is most often used for the offspring of mammals, but can be used for any animal that gives birth to multiple young. In comparison, a group of eggs and the offspring that hatch from...
size is 3 to 6, and the pups are weaned at 3-4 weeks.
Breeding fat-tailed gerbils in captivity can be hard, as the females can be very aggressive when they are pregnant or nursing pups. They will attack the male, and even kill her mate if he is not housed separately after mating has taken place. The chance of a female housed with a male becoming pregnant is much less than it is with Mongolian gerbils. A proven method to breed fat-tailed gerbils it putting a male and a female together in a rather small tank with nothing else in it than some bedding material. No nesting box, nothing to play with, no food dish. This way there is really nothing the animals can fight about. They can’t become territorial because of the small space and because there are no points to use as demarcation. With this method it is needed to keep the male and female together for one week and then separate them and put them in a nice big tank with all kind of furnishings, most likely the female is already pregnant.
The mating
Mating
In biology, mating is the pairing of opposite-sex or hermaphroditic organisms for copulation. In social animals, it also includes the raising of their offspring. Copulation is the union of the sex organs of two sexually reproducing animals for insemination and subsequent internal fertilization...
ritual of the fat-tailed gerbil is rather unusual. Both male and female stand on their hind legs and wrestle, making squeaking noise. They never seem to actually bite each other, but they get rather rowdy. If the female is not receptive and the male doesn’t give up, the female will turn and kick bedding at the male. The female will make a nest and get a little nippy when she will be ready to have her litter. They are good mothers. It is the best to remove the male, not because a problem with the male, but because the female gets stressed and may attack the male.
After the litter is weaned, it's best to let the mother rest and recuperate for at least a month before re-introducing the male.
Sexing
The difference between a male and a female fat-tailed gerbil is the same as with other small rodents. This difference can be seen at the distance between the urinary and anal openings. The distance between these openings in male fat-tailed gerbils is much larger than it is in females. Adult males have a large bulge at the base of the tail that is their scrotum. So their testicles are clearly visible. This is totally absent from females. When the pups have an age of about 2 weeks the hairs on the belly start to grow and bald spots can be seen on the belly of the females. These are her nipples. These bald spots are absent in males.Colour Mutations
It appears that in Japan and other places either a grey (g) or chinchilla (cch) mutationMutation
In molecular biology and genetics, mutations are changes in a genomic sequence: the DNA sequence of a cell's genome or the DNA or RNA sequence of a virus. They can be defined as sudden and spontaneous changes in the cell. Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic...
has appeared. This fat-tailed gerbil is greyer in colour. But not everyone is sure that it is a colour mutation. It is also possible that these grey fat-tailed gerbils are from the Egyptian subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
Pachyuromys duprasi natronensis. The juvenile coat of these gerbils is very grey but faded with age to a much more sandy colour. Some hybrids of the Egyptian and the Algerian subspecies have this grey coat as well, although it does lighten with age but is still greyish. Nothing else is known at this time.
Purchase
Duprasi are very new to the pet market, so they are not available on many places. In some countries they are not available, in some they are rare, (Germany, France,Denmark and the UK) and in some countries, like the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
they are quite common. Occasionally they can be found in a pet shop, but most don’t have them.