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Keeping Gerbils Trivia Quiz

Congratulations - you've just bought your first pair of gerbils! But before you take them home from the pet shop, here are some questions to see whether you know how to take care of them.

A multiple-choice quiz by helen295. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
helen295

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
165,768

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
1840

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Unlike hamsters, which are available in a variety of colours, the only gerbil colours that exist are brown and black.

True

False

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Question 2 of 10

2. Why might a standard wire cage be unsuitable for your gerbils? Hint

The cages are not deep enough for them to dig and burrow.

They can kick the bedding out through the bars, making a mess

All of these

They will gnaw on the bars, rubbing away the fur on their noses

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Question 3 of 10

3. Gerbils are desert creatures and have adapted to desert life in many ways. Which of these is not true? Hint

They have powerful hind legs which enable them to burrow into the sand during the hot desert days

Many gerbils have white stomachs to deflect heat from the sand

They have developed very efficient kidneys which means they never need to drink water

Their tails snap very easily, allowing them to escape from birds, snakes and other desert predators

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Question 4 of 10

4. Gerbils are nocturnal, like hamsters.

True

False

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Question 5 of 10

5. You soon discover that your gerbils love sunflower seeds. Why should you limit the number of these that they eat each day? Hint

They contain dangerous toxins

They are very expensive to buy

They are high in fat and can cause obesity

They cause kidney damage

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Question 6 of 10

6. You notice one of your gerbils thumping with his back foot. Why might he be doing this? Hint

Because he's frightened

All of these

To communicate with another gerbil

It's part of the mating ritual

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Question 7 of 10

7. Why shouldn't you give your gerbils cardboard tubes to play with? Hint

Cardboard contains a large number of toxins

There's no reason why they shouldn't play with cardboard tubes

Gerbils often get stuck inside the tube

Gerbils can choke on the cardboard

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Question 8 of 10

8. Which of these is not a species of gerbil? Hint

Mongolian gerbil

Shaw's jird

Fat-tailed gerbil

Spanish jird

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Question 9 of 10

9. What should you do if you discover your female gerbil has had babies? Hint

Call the pet shop

Remove the father immediately

You don't need to do anything

Move the mother and her babies into a different cage

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Question 10 of 10

10. At approximately what age can you separate the baby gerbils from their mother? Hint

2 weeks

12 weeks

20 weeks

6 weeks

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Unlike hamsters, which are available in a variety of colours, the only gerbil colours that exist are brown and black.

Answer: False

Gerbils come in many different colours. White, golden and dove are all very common.

2. Why might a standard wire cage be unsuitable for your gerbils?

Answer: All of these

Metal cages, plastic cages and glass aquariums can all be used for housing gerbils. Each of these has its own advantages and disadvantages.

3. Gerbils are desert creatures and have adapted to desert life in many ways. Which of these is not true?

Answer: They have developed very efficient kidneys which means they never need to drink water

Gerbils can go for fairly long periods without water, but in the desert they obtain moisture from their diet. Since pet gerbils are usually fed on seed-based mixes, you should always make sure that a water supply is available. It's also a good idea to provide some fresh fruit and vegetables several times a week.

4. Gerbils are nocturnal, like hamsters.

Answer: False

Gerbils are active for periods of both the day and night.

5. You soon discover that your gerbils love sunflower seeds. Why should you limit the number of these that they eat each day?

Answer: They are high in fat and can cause obesity

Foods such as sunflower seeds and peanuts have a high fat content so it is a good idea to only give these occasionally as treats.

6. You notice one of your gerbils thumping with his back foot. Why might he be doing this?

Answer: All of these

Gerbils also communicate using high-pitched squeaks which we usually cannot hear.

7. Why shouldn't you give your gerbils cardboard tubes to play with?

Answer: There's no reason why they shouldn't play with cardboard tubes

Cardboard tubes, such as the kind you find inside toilet rolls, are an ideal toy for gerbils. They have fun running through them, and chewing them into hundreds of tiny pieces. However, you should make sure there's no coloured ink on the tube, which could be toxic.

8. Which of these is not a species of gerbil?

Answer: Spanish jird

Other common species include Sundevall's jird, Cheesman's gerbil and the pallid gerbil.

9. What should you do if you discover your female gerbil has had babies?

Answer: You don't need to do anything

If your gerbil has had babies, it's not necessary to take any action. The father will actually help take care of the gerbils and does not need to be removed, as it can be very stressful for the mother to be left alone with her first litter. However, too many pregnancies can be bad for the gerbil's health and some people prefer to remove the father to prevent further mating.

10. At approximately what age can you separate the baby gerbils from their mother?

Answer: 6 weeks

The baby gerbils can be removed from their mother when they are 5 or 6 weeks old. It is recommended that you separate the males and females before they become sexually mature and begin to breed.

Source: Author helen295

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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