Gerbil temperature guide: too hot, too cold and just right

What temperature do gerbils need?

A steady 20 to 24°C (68 to 75°F). That is the RSPCA's ideal range, and it is an ordinary, comfortable room temperature for most homes. The room should also be dry and free of draughts, with natural daylight but no sun shining straight onto the tank.

Other good sources set slightly different limits, so here they are side by side.

We follow the RSPCA's 20 to 24°C as the target, and treat 16 to 27°C (60 to 80°F) as the outer limits you should never go past. Gerbils come from the Gobi Desert and Mongolian steppe, according to Gerbil Care UK, so people assume they love heat. They don't. In the wild they shelter from heat and cold deep underground, and a glass tank in a sunny room has no such escape.

Where to put a gerbil tank so the temperature stays steady

Indoors, in a room you heat in winter, against an inside wall if you can. The RSPCA and Wood Green both say to keep the tank away from windows, draughts, radiators and direct or constant sunlight, and Wood Green adds that a radiator nearby should be switched off. PetMD also says to keep the tank off the floor and away from air conditioners.

• Not in a conservatory, greenhouse or other glass room, which the RSPCA warns heat up fast
• Not on a sunny windowsill or in line with a south- or west-facing window
• Not next to a radiator, heater, oven or tumble dryer
• Not in a draught from a door, window or air conditioner
• Not on the floor, where cold air sits
• Not in a garage, shed or outbuilding
• In a room with daylight, so they keep a normal day and night

Gerbils also need quiet: the RSPCA notes TVs, computer screens, vacuum cleaners and running water give off ultrasound gerbils can hear. Our gerbil cage setup guide covers placement with the layout.

How to keep gerbils cool in hot weather

Keep the room cool first, then give the gerbils cool spots inside the tank. Glass tanks hold heat, and a deep nest of paper is like a duvet, so act early on a hot day, before the room gets above 24°C (75°F). These steps come from the RSPCA, PDSA and Wood Green.

1. Shade the room. Close the curtains or blinds on the sunny side of the house in the morning, before the room warms up. The RSPCA reminds you the sun moves round during the day, so check the tank is still in shade by afternoon.
2. Move air, not wind. Open a window or run a fan to circulate air in the room, as PDSA suggests, but point it away from the tank so the gerbils are not sitting in a draught.
3. Add a cool tile. Wood Green recommends a granite or ceramic tile to help gerbils stay cool in summer. Lay it flat on the surface of the bedding where it can't fall on anyone, with no sharp edges.
4. Use a frozen bottle outside the tank. Freeze a plastic bottle about three-quarters full, wrap it in a towel and stand it against the outside of the glass. The RSPCA and PDSA both say to keep it outside a rodent's home in case it leaks or chills them too much.
5. Check the water twice a day. Gerbils drink more in the heat. Refill with cool water and make sure the bottle spout flows, as PDSA advises. A raised bowl as a second source is a good backup.
6. Offer a watery snack. PDSA suggests small pieces of chilled cucumber, apple or celery, in tiny amounts so the stomach isn't upset.
7. Keep the nest fresh. PDSA says stored food in the nest goes off faster in warm, damp conditions, so check stores every two to three days in a heatwave and remove anything spoiled.
8. Move the tank if you must. If one room is much cooler, such as a north-facing room, move the whole tank there early in the day rather than waiting until the gerbils are struggling.

Plastic houses and tubes get warm and humid inside, PDSA notes. In summer, cardboard boxes with several openings, terracotta pipes and wooden hides keep air moving. Our guide to the best gerbil hides has options. For a watery treat, read our page on whether gerbils can eat cucumber first, so you get the amount right.

Signs your gerbil is too hot

A gerbil that is overheating goes flat and slow. PDSA lists these signs of heatstroke in small pets, including gerbils:

• Lying stretched out or flat on the belly
• Short, quick breaths
• Drooling or a wet chin
• Very sleepy, low energy or floppy
• Eating less or not at all
• Fits, or not responding

Lying stretched out on a cool surface on a warm afternoon can be normal on its own. What matters is the rest of the picture: fast breathing, drooling or a gerbil you can't rouse is an emergency.

What to do if a gerbil has heatstroke

Cool it gently and ring a vet straight away. Heatstroke can kill, and PDSA says to contact your vet immediately if you suspect it.

1. Move it somewhere cool. Take the gerbil to the coolest, shadiest room in the house, in a carrier or box, as the RSPCA advises.
2. Use a cool, damp towel. Wrap or rest the gerbil on a towel damped with cool, not cold, water. Don't use ice and don't put the gerbil in water.
3. Ring your vet. Phone while it cools and follow their advice on getting there. Take the companion gerbil too if it is also affected.
4. Cool the rest of the group. Check every gerbil in the tank, and cool the room before they go back.

How to keep gerbils warm in winter

Keep the room heated and the tank out of draughts, and let the gerbils do the rest. A pair in deep bedding with a packed nest sleeps curled together, which Gerbil Care UK lists as one of the reasons gerbils need company. In the wild, the RSPCA says, gerbils spend more time underground in winter and come up mainly on sunny days.

• Keep the room above 16°C (60°F) day and night, aiming for 20°C (68°F)
• Keep the tank away from doors, windows and the floor
• Add extra nesting paper, as Burgess suggests for indoor rodents in winter
• Keep bedding deep, about 25 cm (10 in), so they can nest below the cold surface
• Keep bedding dry and change damp patches the same day
• Don't put the tank by a radiator to warm it, which swings from hot to cold

Never use a heat mat or heat lamp for gerbils unless a vet tells you to. None of the welfare charities suggest one, and a glass tank with a heat source can overheat quickly. If the room is too cold for you in a jumper, it is too cold for them. Our gerbil bedding guide covers the best nesting materials.

Signs your gerbil is too cold

A cold gerbil stays in its nest more, eats less and feels cool to touch. A long chill can also lead to breathing problems. Burgess lists sneezing, coughing, discharge from the nose or eyes, a dull or hunched look and loss of appetite as signs of respiratory illness in small pets after cold exposure. Oregon Humane Society names sneezing and difficulty breathing as common signs of illness in gerbils. Any of these mean a vet visit, not just a warmer room. Our gerbil health guide covers other signs to watch for.

Humidity: why gerbils like it dry

Keep humidity below 50 percent, which is the MSD Veterinary Manual's guidance. Gerbils are desert animals adapted to dry air, and MSD links low humidity to healthy skin. Rooms with drying laundry, fish tanks or a bathroom next door can be humid. A sand bath helps keep the coat in good condition, as the RSPCA notes: see our gerbil sand bath guide. Damp bedding is worse than damp air: lift out wet patches every day and never let a tank sit in a steamy room.

For lifespan in more detail see how long gerbils live, for finding a new companion see our guide to gerbil pairs and split cages, and for everything else, the complete gerbil care guide.