Your family loves pocket pets, but you are often debating which animals are gerbils and which are hamsters when you head to the pet store. Is there an easy way to tell the difference?

While at first glance these two little fur balls may appear quite similar, they are actually quite different. It’s easy to mistake one for the other until you take note of these differences. Gerbils tend to be a bit smaller in size than hamsters are, and the structure of their face is distinctly different. They also have long tails where hamsters don’t. Their behavior differs as well, in that gerbils are diurnal and hamsters are nocturnal. Gerbils also tend to be more social than hamsters, so they are more likely to be enjoying the attention they are getting from both one another and the people around them. For additional information, please contact your  Northbrook Animal Hospital, MN.