Dan....the sightless gerbil

[Doom Gerbil]

Well fort hose of you who remember Dan, the gerbil whose eyes never opened, here's an update.

Dans is doing well, he's a big, chunky happy gerbil. And Dans eyes have finally opened....but as you can see they are dull red and sightless.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v252/MERMUM/Fern%20and%20Bracken/dan4.jpg

This 1st picture, despite being bleached, shows perfectly how his eyes are.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v252/MERMUM/Fern%20and%20Bracken/dan5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v252/MERMUM/Fern%20and%20Bracken/dan3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v252/MERMUM/Fern%20and%20Bracken/dan2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v252/MERMUM/Fern%20and%20Bracken/Dan1.jpg

[volans]

awwww he's beautiful.

[BrandyJo]

Aww... Poor guy....He is gorgeous though! Do you know what happened? I found a girl with her just born litter in a pet shop back in February and brought them all home. It wasn't until we got home that I realized the mom only had one eye. And after a couple of week when the pups opened their eyes, I found i had a pup with the same problem. But, I'm pretty sure it was due to inbreeding......

[andreaS15]

Poor little guy :( Despite that he's looking very good. A real hansome male gerbil, He's got some good size to him.

[callimico]

wow that's quite a shot. I've never seen an eye like that, how old is he now?

[Doom Gerbil]

hes around 6 months old
There's no indication what went wrong, his eyes just didn't open and as you can see they're certainly sightless now

[Chaos]

He's beautiful. I'm sure he gets around just fine, especially since he never had sight so he's not missing anything. :)

[Doom Gerbil]

Oh yes :D
Site's a minor sense for gerbils, theyre eyes are designed to look up and down.
Up because a gerbils predators come from the sky!!!!
Dan sometimes jumps if we dont warn him we're there but otherwise hes perfectly normal :D
I doubt he is even aware he should have sight!!!

[SpunkyMunky]

He may be sightless, but he is one mighty beautiful gerbil.

[Jiffykat]

He is handsome. Poor thing I hope his tank mate(s) is(are) nice to him.

[Cornflakes4ever]

Just out of curiousity, how does he know where his food and water is.. probably smell? Thats a beautiful gerbil. Thats the kind of gerbil I want, a nice white one with black ticking, that would be a sexy gerbil. What kind of gerbil is he?

[Doom Gerbil]

hes a spotted colourpoint golden agouti
Yes it's a lovely colour
his cagemates can take him by surprise but they are all great friends
Gerbils use smell first, touch next (look at those amzing whiskers) then hearing
sight is a minor sense so being blind is not major disadvantage for pet gerbils
in the wild he wouldn't last long as he wouldnt see aerial predators (gerbil eyes are designed to look down and up....) and would make a nice snack for a bird of prey
Mind you that colour he'd be too visible anyway lol

here are his cage mates: Fern and Bracken (silver nutmeg) and Acorn (golden argente)

[Cornflakes4ever]

If I were a bird I wouldn't eat such a beautiful gerbil! I love the color of white gerbil more than any other. I especially love the black shading in his coat, its gorgeous.

[Doom Gerbil]

whoooooooooops
here's the pic
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v252/MERMUM/Fern%20and%20Bracken/trio2.jpg

[SpunkyMunky]

wow. I'd kill for a colorpoint! Hes a very good looking gerbil:)