Duprasi

Duprasi

Pachyuromys Duprasis

Duprasi Behaviour

Fat-tailed gerbils are less active than Mongolian Gerbils and are generally not as fast. This makes them a lot easier to handle and in fact, they can seem quite docile. A good way to calm down a nervous Duprasi can be to turn them over and gently stroke their stomach until they fall asleep! They do tend to sleep on their back with paws in their air and are very deep sleepers.

Speed and temperament wise Duprasi seem to bear more relation to hamsters than gerbils. Although their activity level isn't that high, they do benefit from some time free-ranging and will love the opportunity to run on their wheel and will appreciate the opportunity to burrow, though they seem to do this more for the joy of it than creating complex burrows.

Like most gerbil species they can also drum their hind feet to indicate alarm or sexual excitement. They don't appear to have the same strong sense of curiosity as Mongolians, and so can be quite content to sit on your hand.

Fat-tailed gerbils are very clean and will take frequent breaks from exploring to sit and wash their face and tail. They have a scent gland located on their stomach and so may stretch across items in their territory and use this to mark them. This scent isn't something humans appear to be able to pick up on and they do not tend to smell.

Although Duprasi males can be sociable, fallouts appear to be quite common and so it is recommended for beginners to keep them alone. Females appear to be more territorial so it is recommended to house them separately. Males can be kept in groups, although can be perfectly happy housed alone. Care should be taken to observe your Duprasi if housed in pairs or groups and spare tanks to hand in case of fallouts. In the wild, they would come together only to breed.