Two Simple Intelligence Tests for Gerbils

Is your gerbil intelligent?  Yes, there is no doubt she is.  Scientists have demonstrated that animals all have some levels of intelligence; the difficulty lies in understanding exactly what that intelligence looks like.  Obviously we can not use the same measures of intelligence with an animal that we would with a human being.

In the book "Fish Facts and Bird Brains:  Animal Intelligence" the author offers two fun games (or training exercises) you can play with your gerbil to help test whether she is average in intelligence, extra bright, or a bit slow.  With both games you need to be consistent in your training (or testing) and plan to spend at least two weeks at this gerbil testing activity.  The author believes that your average gerbil can not only learn to recognize her name, but also be taught to stand on her hind legs.  How quickly your gerbil learns these activities is an indication of how smart she is.

Gerbil Intelligence Test #1:  How Quickly Can Your Gerbil Learn to Recognize Her Name?
In order to train your gerbil to recognize her name, hold out a bit of favorite food (the author recommends a peanut or raisin) and call out the gerbil's name to see if she will come to you.  You will need to do this five or six times during the course of the day for four days.  On the fifth day, call the gerbil by name without holding out the bit of food and see if she comes.  If your gerbil comes after only four days of training you have one very bright gerbil and you should be proud.  On average a gerbil will take at least two weeks of continuous training with hearing her name and being offered her favorite treat before she will come.  If she takes more than two weeks to learn this trick, well, your gerbil is probably a bit slow.

Gerbil Intelligence Test #2:  How Quickly Can Your Gerbil Learn to Stand?
Teaching your gerbil to stand requires similar steps as training her to come when her name is called.  Start the training by letting the gerbil sniff the food first, then hold it in your hand just above her head.  You want to hold it just high enough that she will have to stand on her hind legs to reach it.  Say "stand!" and her name.  Repeat this until the gerbil stands on her hind legs and takes the food.  Repeat this exercise four times a day (holding the food in your hand over the gerbil's head and speaking until she stands up to take it).  At the end of a week try holding your hand over the gerbil's head and saying "stand!" and her name without the food and see if she'll stand on command.  Your extra bright gerbil will learn to stand on command (without the food) in a week or less, your gerbil of average intelligence will learn this trick in two weeks and your mentally challenged gerbil will take three or more weeks.

Blessings!

Source
Helen Roney Sattler.  Fish Facts and Bird Brains:  Animal Intelligence