How long does it take to breed gerbils?

Question

For my biology class. I'm in online school one suggested lab is to breed white mice or gerbils to investigate the passing of genetic traits from one generation to another.

So my questions are which would breed the quickest and what time frame am I looking at.

Answer 1

ok so they're evil little things but dwarf hamsters. When I was 12 I had two, a few weeks later I had at least 3 generations running rapid! They breed fast and a lot and they're seriously ugly when they're born. and when you're done with that experiment you could get a snake and see how many it will it one day to how many more are made lol.

oh but if you're restricted to mice or gerbils go with mice. Not to mention it's an online class right? They probably wouldn't know the difference in what you choose and what you report.

Answer 2

about 45 days

Answer 3

Please don't breed just for the sake of a biology class. Breeding shouldn't be undertaken lightly - what will happen to the animals that you end up with? Mice can have very large litters. Can you keep 12 mice or find them good homes?

There are plenty of mice and gerbils out there already. Pet store animals  - which is what I assume you'd be starting with - are often unhealthy and definitely poor breeding stock.

Breeding should only be undertaken to better the species, not just to produce more or to do a simple experiment. You can find out all about their genetics online - why endanger the lives of the animals and create unwanted animals just to find out what you already know?

And just as a sidenote - if you breed two pink-eyed white mice, you're not going to get any other colors or patterns. That gene will mask any others.