Home jerboa: maintenance and care

In general, before starting an exoticpet, you need to think seriously. Unusual pets are not easy to maintain, so if you are not willing to pay much attention to a pet, a domestic jerboa is not the best option. But if the complexity does not frighten you, then you should familiarize yourself with the the rules for keeping jerboa.

The jerboa is very funny looks: a small body, unreasonably large hind legs andlong tail with a tassel at the end. The jerboa is thick and pleasant to the touch fur of brown or golden-sand color. It protects the animal from the sudden temperature drops common to the desert - its natural habitat.

To home jerboa felt comfortable, it must be lodged in a large cage. In nature, these animals are very mobile, sofrom lack of free space and lack of physical activity, the domestic jerboa can begin to suffer from hypodynamia and die prematurely.

Jerboa jump very high, so the height of the cage or aviary should be at least 50 cm. The cell floor needs to be covered with not very large sand or corn substrates. In general, the dwelling landscape for the jerboa needsas close as possible to the desert landscape habitual for these animals. It is necessary to put in a cage a soft dry grass and sticks that the house jerboa can make to itself a nest.

You can not put solid objects in the cage, hay - a homemade jerboa can damage their paws, which are adapted for movement on soft ground. Also Do not use sawdust as litter. First, they absorb water, and the cockIncreased humidity is harmful. Secondly, the sawdust contains dust, which can cause allergies in the animal. Also in the cage there should be no plastic objects - the domestic jerboa will certainly start to gnaw on them.

Jerks are real purses. To clean the wool they need sand baths, so you need, that the jerboa always had access to pure calcined sand. These clean-headed beasts go to the toilet in one andThe same angle and almost do not smell. You need to clean the enclosure once a week. While cleaning the cage, try not to make sudden movements, so as not to frighten the jerboa.

A jerboa is a solitary animal, so it is better not to have more than one jerboa. The presence of a neighbor will force him to assert his territory, and your domestic jerboa will become aggressive or simply nervous. And alone, he will feel peacefuland calmly. In addition, the jerboa can become nervous and irritable if it does not have the opportunity to equip the nest and satisfy its natural instincts.

In nature, jerboa are nocturnal, which can create certain difficulties in their content. To "cheat" the jumbo clock, you need to turn on the bright electric nightlight, and in the daytime - to try, if possible, to create a muffled twilight with a bluish light reminiscent of the moon. Gradually the biorhythms of the animal will move as you like.

In a cage with a jerboa it is necessary to put a bowl forfeed (only not plastic) and a drinker with a dispenser. The dispenser is very desirable, because in nature jerboa drink very little. Touches can be given fruits (apples, pears), vegetables (beets, potatoes, carrots), herbs and hay, cereal mixtures from cultivated and wild cereals, seeds (sunflower, melon, watermelon). If possible, you need to give a jerk to the roots of plants and twigs of deciduous trees, especially in winter. In the diet jerboa must be present insects (flour worms, grasshoppers, butterflies) - they help him maintain high activity and body temperature. Water and feed must be clean and fresh, so they need to be changed daily.

Despite the fact that the domestic jerboa needs physical activity, he can not be allowed to walk around the apartment: it will escape, and it will be very difficult to catch it. Usually the fugitive hides in a remote place and tries to dig a hole there. Home jerboa does not like obsession: the desire to communicate can cause him to aggression. To make him accustomed to you, try to be with him in one room more often.

In principle, if you are patient, kind and affectionate, the domestic jerboa will be able to get used to you and will go on your hands. But anyway, Despite the epithet "home" jerboa always remain a wild rodent - he can never fully get used to the person and at the first opportunity will try to escape.