Gerbils and Mice

Question
QUESTION: I dont want to sound like a weirdo but im very curious...Would it be possible to breed a Gerbil with a Mouse....Even if it was done by IVF or something?????????????????????????????????????


PLEASE KEEP PRIVATE!

ANSWER: Hi Lauren

Mice are considerably smaller than gerbils and therefore if you tried to breed them there would probably be serious consequences during the birth process.  I have never heard of this being done, nor would I ever advise it.  Cross breeding one species with another is incredibly dangerous and causes all sorts of problems, therefore if you were thinking of trying this, DON'T!  Even with the dwarf hamsters it is never advised to breed Winter Whites with Campbells because the female can't always actually give birth to the other species and they end up dying in the process, so this type of experiment is never worth it.

Hope this answers your question.

Regards



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks...you make tonnes of sence...i wasn't going to try it at all as we have enough rodents without homes as it is, but i know alot of peopple wonder whether its possible

Answer
Hi

I'm glad you're not thinking of doing this.  My personal feeling is that no animal should be bred with a different species. I know that some creatures have evolved because of cross breeding species, but I think it should be left up to nature.

Even if they are cross-bred within their own kind, just different varieties - such as dogs, just look at the problems some of these are now facing with respiratory problems etc. I've currently got an eyeless white hamster who is the result of someone trying to breed two types of white Syrian hamsters - one type carries a defective gene and in these cases a large number of the litter are born totally deaf and with no eyes.  I've also heard of people trying to mate Campbells dwarf hamsters with Winter Whites dwarf hamsters - the fact is that Campbells are slightly bigger than Winter Whites and therefore a Winter White female may not be able to actually give birth to Campbells offspring - and it invariably means that a vet has to intervene or the hamster dies.   So without knowing what you are doing you are probably condemning a creature to death or poor quality of life by mating with a different species.   Nature is incredibly complex and we should not mess about with it.  

Thanks for your question - it was an interesting one.  
Regards