Exotic pets, rodents and birds

Bushy Tailed Jirds!


Caging requirements:

* 10 gallon or larger aquarium with a securely locking screen mesh lid, 1/4" or smaller mesh

* climbing apparatus

* hanging water bottle

* heating system

* thermometer

* nestbox: you can fill it with cotton batting, shavings, shredded paper (make sure it's soy based ink or no ink), but please stay away from cedar bedding.

* toys: toilet paper rolls, coconut shells, securely placed rocks for ledges, PVC tubes, terra cotta planters, small bird nest boxes, rodent tubes.

* ceramic food dish (they tend to play with or tip plastic ones)

* chew sticks or pieces of rodent diet for their teeth maintenance

Bushy tailed jirds are a very cute animal, with huge eyes and round rotating ears, with a very bushy long tail, much like a miniature chinchilla. They can move quite fast, and chew through a multitude of cords and other household items, so it's best to keep them as contained as possible. They can be friendly towards their caretakers, and will come up to the top of the cage for treats, worms, crickets or small pieces of fruit. My trio do quite well on a diet of Mazuri rodent blocks, a small animal mix (custom blend of equine dry corn/oats/barley blend mixed with a good parrot seed blend - NO CHILI PEPPERS!!! - with added dried fruit and greens. I also supplement with crickets, small mealworms, tropical cockroaches and other small insecta. They adore their meat products, so if you are squeamish about feeding worms and other such, don't get the jirds. They do so much better with a complete diet.

Photos of my trio to come soon!!!

One of the best sites I've found on Bushy Tailed Jird info is one done by Julian Barker, and can be found here.

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