critter trails and other plastic pipes

Question

I have heard some pretty controversial stuff in the way of these plastic expansion tubes.
i guess the biggest 1.) is that its too small for most adult gerbils and sometimes the bigger critters can get stuck, and die.
2.) The humans enjoy the bright colors more then the gerbils. 3.) gerbils can chew though the hard plastic and escape.

what do you recommend? stick with just the cage or is the expansion trails worth it?

Answer
Hi Alex

My personal opinion is that these expansion tubes are OK for hamsters (providing the hamster isn't too large), but not great for gerbils.  My reason for coming to this conclusion is that firstly, hamsters can elongate themselves, whereas gerbils can't.  Gerbils can get stuck in tight spaces and many toys that are sold are great for hamsters who can change body shape to free themselves, whereas Gerbils can't do this.  I've even known of a gerbil getting stuck inside a cardboard tube - hence the reason why I always slit any cardboard tube along the edge before I give it to my gerbil to chew - just in case.  

Secondly, gerbils love chewing - therefore they can/will eventually chew through the plastic connectors and escape.

I'm not sure about the color issue - I don't know if this matters to them.  However, if the tube is vertical, or at an angle then gerbils can have trouble climbing.  If you look at your gerbils feet - they are very long and delicate.  They are designed for burrowing underground and digging earth.  Hamsters' hands are very podgy, designed for climbing and gripping.  Hence, whilst i'm not a great supporter of tubes for any animals as they can create condensation and if food is stored in them it can go mouldy and cause health issues, plus of course the extra time needed for cleaning them, I especially don't think they are suitable for gerbils.  As I said before, this is purely my own opinion and observation over the years.

Are you giving your gerbil plenty of cardboard to chew?   The main thing with a gerbil is to make sure they have plenty of cardboard to chew and that the tank/cage is deep enough so that they can keep their bedding deep and make tunnels through it.  If the cage/tank you have your gerbil in isn't big enough, hence the reason for considering expansion tubes, I would be tempted to consider upgrading the tank/cage to one that is larger/deeper.  I'm sure your gerbil will thank you more for this, than for getting expansion tubes!

Hope this helps you decide what to do.

Regards