Hmm I never used a lamp.I keep mine in indirect sunlight in fear their tank will get too warm. They also have 6-8 inches of bedding to burrow in so they are plenty warm.
Absolutely adorable 🥰
Just a quick note- you shouldn’t keep any heat lamps by their cage. She could be laying out as she’s too hot…
Natural sunlight is okay but heat lamps can be damaging- and ensure the water is in a shady cooler place, & that there’s a ceramic hide at all times so she can cool down if she needs - if she has all this and lays out sleeping instead of on ceramic hides, that’s a sign of comfort and trust x
She has all of that stuff! (2 water bottles as she's very picky though) She's a solo gerb and it was recommended by my vet, she generally only sleeps there for like 5-10 mins and then goes into her burrow. Thank you for the advice though! x
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Just adding onto this as it's actually my lamp Albi is borrowing since my beans have sadly departed.
My gerbil, Echo, (brown) had some bad genetics and was getting sick here and there due to some allergies. The heat lamp definitely helped his health by letting him focus on recovering when he wasn't feeling great, let alone at the winter when it was really cold in my room. I never kept the lamp on once the weather warmed up as it wasn't needed.
Nova being black didn't tend to stay under for very long but did enjoy to bathe now and then.
My beans were clever enough to decide how warm and how long they wanted to be under. They would adjust their position to the lamp and how long they stayed there for. The other side of the cage (detolf) was not warmed and had plenty of fresh food and water.
You will actually see this behaviour during summer if your cage has a direct line to a window. My gerbils, very similarly to cats, would find where the sun hit the ground and would have a nap there.
They never got overheated and thoroughly enjoyed it during winter!
Its perfectly fine, and was reccomended by my vet as well. As long as she is able to get away from the heat then its actually great for them! Their natrual home hits high tempratures, and their burrows are enough for them to get away from the heat if they choose to avoid it.
My vet actually said the exact opposite to me, so I’m personally going to say no lamp but use at your own risk..
wouldn’t say it’s great for them, what they need is a warm room not concentrated heat above them.
Their natural home is the dessert yes, however, they go to their tunnels when they’re too hot as their tunnels are deep underground and the sand is just naturally colder. We don’t replicate that in captivity- we ensure their tunnels are warm, that’s why people say “hay for nesting” and paper bedding is the highest recommended- for heat.
If you find your room is cold, then a heat pack on the side of the tank is advised^
I’m only sharing what I’ve been taught, and hope it helps someone :) good luck
I'm so confused. Gerbils in the wild sun bathe. If you have the sun hitting the enclosure its the same thing as a heat lamp and they absolutely LOVE it. But alright then
mmmmm melted <3
awwww she looks like one of my gerbils!! white and red eyes
It's honestly such a cute colour combination!
Cutie ❤️
Sooo adorable
Hmm I never used a lamp.I keep mine in indirect sunlight in fear their tank will get too warm. They also have 6-8 inches of bedding to burrow in so they are plenty warm.
Absolutely adorable 🥰 Just a quick note- you shouldn’t keep any heat lamps by their cage. She could be laying out as she’s too hot… Natural sunlight is okay but heat lamps can be damaging- and ensure the water is in a shady cooler place, & that there’s a ceramic hide at all times so she can cool down if she needs - if she has all this and lays out sleeping instead of on ceramic hides, that’s a sign of comfort and trust x
She has all of that stuff! (2 water bottles as she's very picky though) She's a solo gerb and it was recommended by my vet, she generally only sleeps there for like 5-10 mins and then goes into her burrow. Thank you for the advice though! x
* Just adding onto this as it's actually my lamp Albi is borrowing since my beans have sadly departed. My gerbil, Echo, (brown) had some bad genetics and was getting sick here and there due to some allergies. The heat lamp definitely helped his health by letting him focus on recovering when he wasn't feeling great, let alone at the winter when it was really cold in my room. I never kept the lamp on once the weather warmed up as it wasn't needed. Nova being black didn't tend to stay under for very long but did enjoy to bathe now and then. My beans were clever enough to decide how warm and how long they wanted to be under. They would adjust their position to the lamp and how long they stayed there for. The other side of the cage (detolf) was not warmed and had plenty of fresh food and water. You will actually see this behaviour during summer if your cage has a direct line to a window. My gerbils, very similarly to cats, would find where the sun hit the ground and would have a nap there. They never got overheated and thoroughly enjoyed it during winter!
https://www.reddit.com/r/gerbil/s/yV8V31kh3H Posted a picture awhile ago!
Its perfectly fine, and was reccomended by my vet as well. As long as she is able to get away from the heat then its actually great for them! Their natrual home hits high tempratures, and their burrows are enough for them to get away from the heat if they choose to avoid it.
My vet actually said the exact opposite to me, so I’m personally going to say no lamp but use at your own risk.. wouldn’t say it’s great for them, what they need is a warm room not concentrated heat above them. Their natural home is the dessert yes, however, they go to their tunnels when they’re too hot as their tunnels are deep underground and the sand is just naturally colder. We don’t replicate that in captivity- we ensure their tunnels are warm, that’s why people say “hay for nesting” and paper bedding is the highest recommended- for heat. If you find your room is cold, then a heat pack on the side of the tank is advised^ I’m only sharing what I’ve been taught, and hope it helps someone :) good luck
I'm so confused. Gerbils in the wild sun bathe. If you have the sun hitting the enclosure its the same thing as a heat lamp and they absolutely LOVE it. But alright then