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View Full Version : Anyone think there's some kind of family smell resesmblance?


LikeItOrNot
08-14-05, 03:36 AM 08-14-05
A few recent reclanning situations had me wondering..

1. Seperated a mother and father after second litter. Unfortunatley no males in the first litter, so father was alone. Put some daughters in with him for another couple weeks then he was alone for 2. Away from the mother for like 6 weeks total. She accepted him back - instant groom session.

2. Had this crazy idea once of trying to merge 2 boys to a clan of 6. The reason the 2 were seperated a year before was because the nonrelated one would get bullied and did some of his own bullying. After like a week of split caging, the brother was accepted. The nonrelated gerbil got in a few fights.

3. 2 6week old pups put introduced to their father for the first time ever. Father (non related gerbil in 2nd situation) accepted them instantly, the pup's uncle on the mother's side was being a little prick.


So yeah, I have this theory that there's a similar family smell recognition thing. Of course it depends on particular gerbils and everything else..Obviously family members fight.. But yeah. Not in these situations. :confused:

HondaRaycer
08-14-05, 02:48 PM 08-14-05
I guess sometimes they are like little people. I don't have that many gerbils to try that with, but I think that they might kind of. . .miss each other, like if you don't see one of your siblings for a while and then they come to visit and you are like "Hey, I've missed you!"

I noticed that mine will greet each other when I put one back in the tank after I had him out to play. It seems as though they are saying "Welcome Back!"

I dunno if that's related to their scent or not. . .sorry for my ramble.

LikeItOrNot
08-14-05, 07:34 PM 08-14-05
Yeah that's different though. WHen you put a gerbil in the tank they're making sure they know who it is and its not a stranger. Plus they're used to the scent already in their tank.

My situations were with gerbils who should be strangers to eachother. I find it odd that the blood related gerbils tend to accept eachother easier+faster than the non related ones. Family must have similar scents.

andreaS15
08-14-05, 10:39 PM 08-14-05
I wouldn't be surprised is family members have the same sort of scent. I wouldn't go to say they 'know' one another, but I think they coudl recognize the scent of a family member if it was close to the same scent as theres.
Also maybe it has to do with what you feed your gerbils, what kind of bedding you use or if you add certain vitamins to there food/water.. ya never know.

kimsgerbils
08-15-05, 01:12 AM 08-15-05
Could be used to help prevent incest in the wild.... So they know who's related...