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Description
Lunamus haruo

Also known as Haruo’s Gerbil, for which “Herbil” is short. Herbils are indeed a type of gerbil, with origins hailing back to ancient southeast Tarrun. They are small, furry, and omnivorous, as most rodents are, and have a great propensity for digging. They’re best known for their nocturnal living habits and large, crescent shaped ears. It’s for these traits that the genus was first named, as Lunamus translates roughly to “moon mouse”. L. haruo is the most popular and widely seen species, but others bred in captivity include L. kodansya, L. tomei, L. tatara, L. uran, and L. kue. All have large personalities and small bodies that can fit easily into a person’s hand.
Being nocturnal, Herbils spend their daylight hours buried underground and sleeping. Trying to engage with them during the day is a fruitless endeavor more likely to irritate the poor little things than endear them to you. After the sun goes down however they become much more playful, emerging from their dens to forage, groom, and explore. They take well to being handled and enjoy all the usual forms of rodent exercise like wheels, balls, and tubes. Hiding food is another way to keep them entertained, as it replicates wild feeding behaviors.
Seeds, grains, and vegetables make for good staples in a Herbil’s standard diet, although onions and potatoes should be avoided as they’re toxic to the little mammals. Fruits are also safe, as well as most small, soft-bodied insects like crickets and moths. These feeders can be introduced freely into an enclosure for a little bit of additional exercise, as the Herbil will have to hunt and hop after them.
Even more important is roughage. Like most rodents, Herbils have a natural tendency to chew apart their surroundings, and for good reason. If they do not, their constantly growing teeth can become a major health concern. To prevent any unhealthy overgrowth Herbils should always be given access to something reasonably hard and safe to chew on, like twigs or small wood chips. Hay is equally essential, serving a dual purpose as both a comfortable bedding material and a snack that promotes good digestive health.

Artwork © Chris Eye, 2018.

Description
Lunamus haruo

Also known as Haruo’s Gerbil, for which “Herbil” is short. Herbils are indeed a type of gerbil, with origins hailing back to ancient southeast Tarrun. They are small, furry, and omnivorous, as most rodents are, and have a great propensity for digging. They’re best known for their nocturnal living habits and large, crescent shaped ears. It’s for these traits that the genus was first named, as Lunamus translates roughly to “moon mouse”. L. haruo is the most popular and widely seen species, but others bred in captivity include L. kodansya, L. tomei, L. tatara, L. uran, and L. kue. All have large personalities and small bodies that can fit easily into a person’s hand.
Being nocturnal, Herbils spend their daylight hours buried underground and sleeping. Trying to engage with them during the day is a fruitless endeavor more likely to irritate the poor little things than endear them to you. After the sun goes down however they become much more playful, emerging from their dens to forage, groom, and explore. They take well to being handled and enjoy all the usual forms of rodent exercise like wheels, balls, and tubes. Hiding food is another way to keep them entertained, as it replicates wild feeding behaviors.
Seeds, grains, and vegetables make for good staples in a Herbil’s standard diet, although onions and potatoes should be avoided as they’re toxic to the little mammals. Fruits are also safe, as well as most small, soft-bodied insects like crickets and moths. These feeders can be introduced freely into an enclosure for a little bit of additional exercise, as the Herbil will have to hunt and hop after them.
Even more important is roughage. Like most rodents, Herbils have a natural tendency to chew apart their surroundings, and for good reason. If they do not, their constantly growing teeth can become a major health concern. To prevent any unhealthy overgrowth Herbils should always be given access to something reasonably hard and safe to chew on, like twigs or small wood chips. Hay is equally essential, serving a dual purpose as both a comfortable bedding material and a snack that promotes good digestive health.

Artwork © Chris Eye, 2018.