Do gerbils need a water bottle in their tanks/cages?

Question

Whenever I've had gerbils I've always given them a water bottle in their tank with them though it's a lot of hassle (I've had two water bottles chewed to death and the rest have tended to leak when they are buried in sawdust!). Recently my biology teacher told me that gerbils will not need water, as they can get all they need from food, so long as you start not giving them water as babies. This could save a lot of water bottles in future! Is it true?

Answer 1

i've always understood water to be a necessity of life,  They do have metal protectors for water bottles to hang in.

Answer 2

Only if you want them to live.

Answer 3

It may be true, but you should keep a bottle of water in there in case they get thirsty for water, instead of food.

Hope this helped=)

Answer 4

any animal needs water and i dont know what planet your biology teacher is from but everyone needs water to survive. you cannot really get all the water from food. and as for putting water in a bowl for them no you cannot put water in a bowl cause they might sit in it and if they knock their food dish over they are bound to knock over the water in the bowl. i would suggest as some people said get a metal guard and put it on the side of the cage. and have something to protect it. but your gerbils need water definitely

Answer 5

Gerbils do need water.  if water bottles do not work for your gerbils, try getting a little bowl or saucer

Answer 6

you should get a steel water bottle or just put the water in a bowl sure it might spill or get chewwed but its worth it and its very cheap

Answer 7

no that is NOT true!!! i have raised and bread gerbils many many times and they must have water, they will dehydrate and die if they dont have it. I dont know who tought your teacher that but they are wrong! Think about when a dog wants water and hasnt had the bowl filled up, they start panting really had and sound like they are wheezing its the same with the little furry animals, they need water to live!

Answer 8

No. No matter what, gerbils should have a water bottle. Yes, they can get water from fruits like apples, but they should still have water available 24/7. As for water bottles being chewed and buried, have you tried getting a metal bottle guard and hanging it higher up off the floor of the cage so it can't be buried? The water bottle I have for my gerbils has a bottle guard, and I haven't had a problem with them chewing it. They have buried the nozzle before, so now I just hang the bottle up high enough so that it can't be buried but they can still reach it. The water bottle I have is posted below.