Trying to decide between a gerbil and a guinea pig? They’re both small and furry, but they couldn’t be more different as pets.
Gerbils weigh just 56 to 113 grams, while guinea pigs tip the scales at 700 grams to 1.2 kilograms. Their personalities don’t match either: gerbils are fast, curious diggers, while guinea pigs are calmer and more social with their owners.
Here are the 10 biggest differences.
10 Key Differences Between a Gerbil And a Guinea Pig
Here are the 10 key differences between a gerbil and a guinea pig.
Difference in Appearance
Put a gerbil and a guinea pig side by side, and the differences jump out immediately. These features make identification easy, even from across the room.
Size
The weight gap is massive. A mature gerbil weighs 56 to 113 grams.
An adult guinea pig hits 700 grams to 1.2 kilograms.
That’s roughly a full kilogram difference, according to the Animal Diversity Web. Males run bigger than females in both species.
Length
Gerbils can grow to be about 4 inches long when they mature.
On the other hand, guinea pigs are almost twice as long as gerbils, where they’re 8 to 10 inches in length.
When measured from nose tip to tail end, gerbils reach about 7 inches. The tail accounts for almost half their body’s length, but guinea pigs are still slightly longer overall.
Ears
Gerbil ears are small, rounded, and sit upright. Guinea pig ears are large and floppy, hanging down on the sides of the head.
Watch a gerbil hear a noise and its ears snap to attention, pinpointing the source. Guinea pig ears don’t perk up the same way.
Don’t let the floppy ears fool you. Guinea pigs hear just as well.
The only difference is the visible response.
Legs
Feet aren’t the first thing you’d check, but they reveal a lot.
Gerbils have noticeably longer rear legs. You’ll spot this when they stand upright, which gerbils do constantly to survey their surroundings.
Guinea pigs sit lower to the ground with stubbier legs. On all fours, the height difference is harder to spot.
As an instinctive quality, gerbils stand up frequently on their rear legs, usually surveying their surroundings for food or predators.
Fur
Guinea pigs take the lead.
Gerbils are fluffy too, but their fur isn’t as long. No gerbil species has longer fur than guinea pigs.
Peruvian guinea pigs can grow fur up to four inches long, and no gerbil breed has fur that long.
This is likely because guinea pigs originated from cooler regions, while gerbils came from hotter areas.
Tail
Guinea pigs have no tail even though they’re rodent family members. A gerbil’s tail, on the other hand, is almost the same length as its body.
A gerbil’s tail can be shed off if it gets trapped, which helps them escape predators. Some gerbils, like the fat-tailed gerbil, use their tail for fat storage.
Guinea pigs don’t need a tail since their habitat is flat. Surprisingly, they still have seven tail bones, but they’re so close to the pelvis that you can’t notice them.
Biological Differences
You won’t spot these differences at a glance. They show up in breeding cycles, lifespans, and body chemistry.
Gestation
Gerbils carry their pregnancy for about 24 days before giving birth to around 1 to 8 pups.
A guinea pig’s gestation period is almost three times that of gerbils. Pregnancy in guinea pigs lasts about 59 to 72 days, after which they give birth to 2 to 4 pups.
Life Span
No animal has a guaranteed lifespan. Diet, genetics, and infections all play a role.
Mongolian gerbils typically make it two to five years. Fat-tailed gerbils can reach five to eight.
Guinea pigs outlast most gerbil breeds at four to eight years in captivity.
Wild guinea pigs don’t live as long as pet guinea pigs due to predators and environmental risks. Most barely reach their first year.
Origin
Their native habitats explain a lot about their behavior. Desert animals and mountain animals don’t act the same way.
Gerbils originated from the sandy plains of Africa and Asia. They were known as the desert rat until introduced to North America commercially as pets.
Guinea pigs originated from South America, particularly the Andes. If you’re curious about guinea pig activity patterns, they’re actually crepuscular, not nocturnal.
Adoption As Home Pets
Domestication of guinea pigs dates back about 5,000 to 7,000 years ago, according to scholars. Gerbils weren’t kept as pets until the 1950s.
Guinea pigs were first kept in households not as pets but for food.
Gerbils were introduced to America by Dr. Victor Schwentker, who imported them for scientific research and later recognized their suitability as pets.
Differences Between Home Kept And Wild
Since we can study both wild and domestic forms, the differences are pretty straightforward.
Wild guinea pigs are smaller, more aggressive, and pay more attention to their local surroundings than domestic ones.
The breed of gerbils commonly kept as pets is the Mongolian gerbil, which is calm and friendly. The great gerbil isn’t recommended as a pet because it’s very aggressive, has a huge appetite, and will burrow through belongings.
Behavior
Behavior is where personality really separates these two. Same stimulus, completely different reactions.
Fear Or Stress
When a guinea pig is frightened, some of the behaviors may include aggression and hiding.
On the other hand, a gerbil will stomp its feet to communicate with other gerbils. Gerbils are pack animals with an instinctual way of communicating to warn others or call for help.
Excitement
Like people laughing and dogs wagging their tails, gerbils and guinea pigs have their own ways of showing excitement.
A gerbil will stand upright on its rear legs with its arms at its side.
Since a guinea pig can’t stand on its rear legs, it shows excitement differently. It’ll make high-pitched squeals that sound like whistling.
They do this when they’re happy or know it’s feeding time. Their love for food is so strong that they’ll whistle in anticipation of a meal.
This behavior is called popcorning when paired with jumping.
Which Are Better Pets, Gerbils Or Guinea Pigs?
Both gerbils and guinea pigs are popular pets today. They each have upsides and downsides, so evaluating them side by side helps you make an informed choice.
Both species are social animals and love to play with humans. It’s best to adopt a male and female pair rather than two males, who can be hostile toward each other.
Gerbils need a lot more vertical space than guinea pigs. Their cages should be filled with bedding to satisfy their strong urge to tunnel and dig.
Guinea pigs like tunneling too, but they need less bedding for it.
Guinea pigs are more common as pets, likely because they rarely bite and are calmer. Gerbils will bite and gnaw on things to keep their teeth short.
Guinea pigs require a more specific diet of hay, vegetables, and plenty of vitamin C. Their larger size, longer life span, and bigger space requirements make them a great choice for families ready to commit.
Which One Is For You?
Both are great picks, so it comes down to your preference and commitment level. Spend some time with each, handle them, and get a feel for which personality fits you and your family.
Do Gerbils Get Along With Guinea Pigs?
Many pet lovers want to keep two different animals at the same time. For that to work, the two animals need to get along.
Since gerbils and guinea pigs are different species, it’s hard for them to coexist. They’ll instinctively hoard resources and fight over food, water, and space.
All animals are territorial, especially those from different genetic lines. Both gerbils and guinea pigs mark their territories with scent, which often leads to fights.
The best you can do is keep them in the same room in separate cages. Don’t let them share a living space.
What Do Gerbils And Guinea Pigs Eat?
Gerbils usually eat seeds, grass bulbs, and some leaves, with fruits and vegetables as supplements.
Guinea pigs have a similar diet. They eat limited amounts of fresh vegetables and fruits along with high-quality guinea pig hay.
What Can’t Gerbils And Guinea Pigs Eat?
Guinea pigs and gerbils can’t eat many of the same things. They shouldn’t have anything containing caffeine, like tea, coffee, and energy drinks.
Chocolate is harmful to them since it’s difficult to metabolize. They also can’t handle gassy foods like avocados and potatoes.
Grapes and rhubarb are poisonous to gerbils.
What Do Gerbils And Guinea Pigs Have In Common?
Since they’re from different species, you might think they have nothing in common. But they actually share many similarities that can confuse people.
Both are rodents with colorful fur that protects them from harsh conditions like cold temperatures. They both have black eyes (except for albinos, who have different eye colors).
They’re both pack animals that live in groups. Like most pack animals, they’re very territorial and use scent to mark their territory.
Both have long whiskers, almost the size of a cat’s, that serve as sensory organs.
Final Thoughts
The easiest way to tell a gerbil from a guinea pig is size. The larger animal without a tail is always the guinea pig, and the smaller one with the long tail is the gerbil.
Both make great pets for the right owner. Your choice should depend on how much space you have, how much time you can give, and which personality fits your household best.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gerbils and guinea pigs shouldn't share a cage. They're different species with different habitat needs, and they'll fight over food, water, and territory. Both animals mark their space with scent, which triggers aggression. Keep them in separate cages if you want both as pets.
Guinea pigs are usually better for young kids because they're calmer, rarely bite, and are easier to hold. Gerbils are fast, skittish, and may nip when startled. For families with small children, a guinea pig's gentle temperament makes it the safer choice.
Guinea pigs generally live longer at four to eight years in captivity. Mongolian gerbils typically live two to five years, though fat-tailed gerbils can reach five to eight years. If you want a longer-lived small pet, guinea pigs are the better overall option.
Guinea pigs need significantly more floor space because they're much larger animals. A guinea pig cage should provide at least 7.5 square feet. Gerbils need less floor space but require more vertical room for climbing and digging through deep bedding layers.
