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Understanding Gerbil Behavior
Understanding Gerbil Behavior
Gerbils are lovely to have as pets and they can entertain you with their acts for a long time. They are extremely friendly creatures and also rather interfering so much so that they can b quite irritating too. Any new thing that they see or smell will draw them out of hiding. If they get to hear an unknown noise, they will come out of the hiding to have a look and then they will retreat into a nook for a safe place.
Gerbils usually make noises that are high-pitched squeaks. This they do while they play or are frightened. Even though old or very gerbils make louder squeaks, people usually cannot hear gerbil squeaks. Gerbils are also capable of communicating through body language. If you can understand such language then you will be able to say what your pet needs.
A very usual act gerbils perform is that they lick each other’s mouth when they meet. With the taste of the saliva they learn to recognize one another. It looks like they are rubbing their noses together.
“Drumming” is also a rather common act among gerbils. While standing the gerbil thumps the ground with its hind legs. It is warning sign to other gerbils if there is anger or it is a courting act between males and females. The younger ones, through imitation of their parents, learn this action. So even when there is no danger close by, gerbils perform this act from seeing their parents.
An excited gerbil will jump in the air with all its four feet. The front paws are stretched in boxing movements. While the movements are playful in themselves, they can also become serious. Fighting gerbils often hit each other with the heads before a wrestling match.
You will observe that at times a gerbil will sit straight. When it just sniffs and moves its head all around, top to bottom and left to right: then it is an act of plain curiosity. But if it remains in a straight stiff position with folded paws then probably the gerbil is scared.
Gerbils groom themselves very well when they are happy, relaxed and are having fun. Usually a gerbil rolls in front of another one and turns to offer its throat. Clearly, they want a grooming session. The other gerbil happily obliges since for them it is a request that can never be refused at any cost. It is an experience that both sides of the party enjoy.
When gerbils get irritated they push other ones of the group away with their heads. Similarly they will also push away your hands in the same way. But this does not happen very often, as gerbils are quite sociable creatures in themselves.
If you understand the body language very well, then you can be assured that keeping gerbils as pets will be a very enjoyable experience and you will also know how to take care of them. It is a lovely experience to spend time with these little ones.
Gerbil pets, Gerbil information, Gerbil tips, Gerbil advice
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