Gerbil Porn

[shadesong]

So for Elayna's birthday, 3 months ago, we bought her two gerbils, Freddy and Woody. We have been operating under the assumption that these are two boy gerbils, and they have done nothing to disabuse us of this assumption.

Until now.

yendi called me over to observe... Freddy was mounting Woody. Like, a lot. Woody was attempting to run like hell. So we're concerned, as we do not want baby gerbils.

As yendi said, it would be perfectly fine if they were gay. I mean, we have a pillowfucking cat; gay gerbils would fit right in. So. Does anyone know if homosexuality exists in gerbils?

Please?

Comments

[danorsong.livejournal.com]

Yes it does... I've seen homo rats, gerbils and hampsters... it's has always been to my vast amusment.

[tikimama.livejournal.com]

You should be able to tell fairly easily if they are both males, wee rodents have pretty big cojones.

Though the mounting probably means at least one is a male. They'll mount anything. ;P

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

They're not standing up and showing 'em to me at the moment, and gerbils are supposed to be notoriously difficult to sex...

And yeah, at this point, we're pretty sure Freddy's male - we're just hoping that Woody is as well...

[m0usegrrl.livejournal.com]

are they like easy to handle? if so, you should be able to pick them up, hold them with their little naughty bits exposed, and press eversogently on their little tummies -- if it's a boy, you'll know. =)

i know this works on hamsters...

[technomom]

Mounting to establish dominance is pretty common in many species.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

I hope that's what it is! I do *not* want to deal with a litter of baby gerbils, thank you very much...

[technomom]

Let's hope they aren't like rabbits. Someone I know who has had them explained the facts of rabbits this way:
Rabbit Rule # 1: All female rabbits are pregnant. All the time. Period.
Rabbit Rule # 2: All rabbits are female and therefore pregnant. And if they're one of the few male rabbits, their only purpose in the universe is to impregnant all female rabbits.
Rabbit Rule # 3: Male rabbits like to impersonate female rabbits, to trick you into putting them into the cage with the females. See Rule #1.

[voltbang.livejournal.com]

You could obtain a snake, or a friend with a snake and let the problem resolve itself. Umm, while your child is away.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Yeeeps.... ummno. I do not think so.

Elayna actually adores snakes... but I don't think she's considered what they eat.


ˇ

[melintur.livejournal.com]

Including humans.

"Mounting to establish dominance" is usually the codephrase squicky animal behaviourists explain away homosexual behaviour.

Check out Biological Exuberance (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312192398/qid=1023845036/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-2325914-9853553) by Bruce Bagemihl



I wonder if "top-only" homosexuals are just mounting to establish dominance?

-=C

[la-belledame.livejournal.com]

Thank you Craig! I was trying to remember this book -- and all I could remember was the Exuberance part!

Donna

[edie22.livejournal.com]

This is the funniest thing. I can just see him calling you in to *watch* the gerbils. heh. Dirty. *singsongyvoice* you have gay gerbils. Have fun explaining *that* one to Elayna.

[myrrhdusa.livejournal.com]

http://www.rodent.demon.co.uk/gerbils/gender.htm
A site for sexing gerbils. With pictures of their naughty bits and everything. I love the U.K.!

[la-belledame.livejournal.com]

Oh cool. I successfully sexed the gerbil on the test.

Donna

[tanaise.livejournal.com]

You must have a book about gerbils? I'm pretty sure, though I haven't any sources, that gerbils would reach sexual maturity before this point, so it may just be dominance. But I'd check the book.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

I need to get a book. I actually have a book on guinea pigs, but not on gerbils... we were originally planning on guinea pigs, but they're more expensive and need a huge cage, and we decided gerbils would be better as a starter pet.

My brother had gay gerbils...

[alphafem.livejournal.com]

Really. Doug and Dave. And poor Doug was an amputee, so he was prey to Dave on a regular basis. He had them for over three years and we never had baby gerbils. Although poor Doug did develop a nervous twitch. Our cat ended up eating him. I honestly think it was suicide. It's tough to be a straight gerbil in a rough trade cage.
And in continuing the tradition of owning homosexual animals, he now has lesbian rabbits. Bunnicula and Lucky, but we've nicknamed them Xena and Gabrielle.

Re: My brother had gay gerbils...

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

I have absolutely nothing to say to this comment except that I *love* it.