Gerbils

Reproduction

Gerbils are for the most part selective when it comes to picking a mate for copulation. An average litter size for the Mongolian gerbil is around 4–8 pups. If the litter only contains around 1–2 young then the mother will neglect them and they will die from starvation. Mongolian gerbils are monogamous and mate with their selected partner for life. When their mate dies, many gerbils refrain from seeking other mates to reproduce with. Males generally find new mates whereas females may not. When older females lose their mate they almost always give up on seeking reproduction. Their behavior tends to vary when faced with different settings; in the wild, the large population of gerbils means that finding and selecting a mate is not a problem. Within a laboratory setting, though, many gerbils tend to keep to themselves and refrain from copulation.