I bought a gerbil book and noticed this new baby gerbil I got only has a stub for a tail?? I can't imagine this would be the case but in the book it shows baby gerbils even younger than the one I have with tails. Is it just the breed of Gerbil I have? He's a male, white , and then a cream/tan color
Answers:
Gerbils naturally have a tail as long as the body with a tuft of fur at the end.
Tail sloughing
Gerbils can lose their tails due to improper handling. The first sign is a loss of fur from the tip of the tail, then, the skinless tail then dies off and sloughs, with the stump usually healing without complications. However, in some cases, the tail may need to be amputated.
This may be the case with your gerbil. It is also possible that your gerbil had its tail chewed off by another animal.
Gerbils that are missing part of their tails normally indicate a pet store or owner that gave them an improper wheel or someone who lifted the gerbil by the tail incorrectly and there is nothing inherently wrong with such an animal except that they look different from other gerbils.
Unless your gerbils tail seems to be bothering it, or looks sore or infected (in which case it needs to be seen by a veterinarian), I wouldn't worry about it.
THEY LOOSE THEIR TAIL IF ITS TRAPPED OR INJURED
Are you sure you haven't been sold a HAMSTER instead?
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