My gerbil is biting me,he did not do this at first.?

Question

He gets plenty of exercise, food and water.....
Do all gerbils bite? The store said gerbils usually do not bite...did they lie? First 2 weeks..fine..then he started biting
\my hand when I would g o to get him out of the cage to put him in the exercise ball. Is he( or she) lacking something? Also how do you tell if it is a male, or female?

Answer 1

If he didn't bite at first it probably has to do with the way you are handling him. It might be too grabby, too rough, or too timid and shakey. Hold your hand very still in the cage and let the gerbil come to you and run onto your hand and arm. If he ever nips, don't jerk your hand away. Keep it still and give him a quick puff of air in the face. When you have him out, don't constrain him. Be very still and let him run in your hands and arms.

Also, gerbils kept alone often feel vulnerable and scared and can get nippy. Get him a friend and introduce them in a split cage:
http://www.agsgerbils.org/Gerbil_Care_Handbook/adopt.html#split

Here is a site that will help you figure out if you have a boy or girl:
http://www.gerbils.co.uk/gerbils/gender.htm

Answer 2

Gerbils are rodent and if scared or handled poorly may bite. Try wearing a glove when you want to catch him. The only training that you can do is to give him/her the idea that bitting does no good. In a mature gerbil you should be able to distingish between a male and a female by looking at the undercarriage.

Answer 3

He is teething. Buy him a toy.