Handling, Medical Care and Epilepsy Never pick up a gerbil by the tail, the skin can easily come off. They do not like being on their backs and will struggle to turn back over, sometimes causing the person to drop them. They can be picked up by gently scooping them up with your hand over the back and sides and keep them upright. Gerbils have very few diseases and are very healthy. The seizures are short-lived and apparently leave no long lasting effects.
Normal activity resumes usually in a few minutes.
It may actually be adaptive in the wild, by preventing predators from eating them.