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Bushy Tail Jirds
(Sekeetamys calurus)
Description
Roughly the same size as a Mongolian Gerbil but a bit longer and
thinner in build. Their faces are long and pointed with very
prominent whiskers. Their most striking feature is their tail. In a
non-dominant animal this is quite thick along most of it's length.
The tail is often tipped in white, although the amount may vary from
a few sparse hairs to an inch or more. Only in a dominant male is
the bushy tail seen in all its glory.
Diet
They can also be maintained on a diet of lab blocks, and rat or
mouse mix, with bits of fruit or veggies regularly.
Cheerios or wheat bread are great treats, in small quantities. Do
NOT feed chocolate, fried foods, salted foods, candy or junk food!
I've also offered my jirds crickets and mealworms as treats, which
they seem to adore. They should also have a small lime block in
their cage, which they'll chew on as often as they need to.
Vitamins, like Nutri-Cal are a good addition to their diet, and
added calcium during nursing and growth due to demands on their
systems at those times, but take care not to overdo it.
Water bottles are better then bowls, as the jirds will kick litter
into bowls and then refuse to drink the soiled water. Ceramic or
stoneware food dishes work well for keeping seeds or fresh foods off
the floor, and a wire mesh hopper that allows the gerbils to eat the
lab blocks through without them falling is also a good idea.
Habitat
It's perfectly safe to house a single male and his harem of females
together, even while pregnant and nursing babies, so long as the
females get along all right. Some breeders prefer to separate them
into male/female pairs to prevent fights amongst females.
If they feel that there are too many jirds in the cage however, they
will stop breeding and may even cannibalize newborns. A ten gallon
cage will house one or two jirds, or a litter of weanlings
temporarily. But in reality, the more room they have, the happier
they will be, and the better their health.
Jirds need lots of toys to chew to keep them happy, as well as
keeping their ever growing teeth down to a reasonable length.
PVC pipe tunnels, and wooden ramps and houses, branches and rope
swings will all keep your jirds from getting board during the hours
when you are sleeping or can't be with them.
They need to be kept out of drafts or direct sunlight.
Bedding should be aspen, paper based, or hay. Try to avoid Cedar or
Pine.
Special needs
Bushy tails will benefit from a bowl with sand in their cage so they
can 'sand bathe' to get the access oils from their hair. If not
allowed to sand bathe on a regular basis, the oils can build up and
lower the animals natural resistance to pests or cold. Long term
neglect may also cause health concerns.
Personality
Attitude - Very curious, friendly, and sociable
Tame-ability - Fair to Good
Trainability - Fair
Activity level - High
Vocal - No
Minimum owner's age - 12
Reproduction
Lifespan 4-5 years
Maturity 5-6 weeks
Sexual maturity 3 months
Receptive evenings
Gestation 21-25 days
Infants show color pigment at 4-6 days
Infants can be handled at 2 weeks
Infant eyes open at 16 days
Ready to wean at 5-6 weeks
Mutations
As far as I'm aware, there haven't been any major mutations in Bushy
tails. They do vary a bit in color intensity, and some have more
white on the tip of their tails then others.
Pet Status
Uncommon
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Pet Rats, Mice, Gerbils, Jirds, Voles,
Lemmings and other Rodents
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