Monitoring your gerbils body language can help you to understand how they are feeling, which is very important for you as their owner. Knowing what the most common gerbil behaviors mean can be very helpful in ensuring you have a healthy and happy pet.
Read on below to find out what the most typical gerbil behaviors are and what they mean.
Typical Gerbil Behavior
Digging/Burrowing
Gerbils are natural burrowers and, in the wild, they create complex systems of tunnels and burrows underground. Giving your pet gerbil plenty of bedding is important so they can continue to dig and burrow, as this satisfies their natural instincts and keeps them happy.
Hoarding Food
You might notice that alongside your gerbil burrowing and digging, they cover their food with their bedding or move it to their burrow. Hoarding food is completely normal and natural for gerbils.
In the wild, gerbils hoard food to prevent them from going hungry if their source of food runs out. It also helps to protect their food from any predators.
Allowing your gerbil to hoard is fine, but don’t forget to remove any old food from their hoard to prevent it going moldy. Otherwise their cage may end up smelling or your gerbil could get sick.
Chewing
Chewing is another natural instinct for gerbils. Gerbils teeth are constantly growing, so they need things to chew and gnaw on to help wear them down. If their teeth get too long, they can cause a range of health issues.
You should make sure your gerbil has plenty of toys and foods to chew on. Wooden branches from certain fruit trees are great, or you can find items in your local pet shop.
Take a look at our article on gerbil food to get more of an idea of what you should provide for your gerbil to chew on, and foods that can help wear down their teeth.
If you don’t provide anything for your gerbil to chew on, they may begin chewing things they shouldn’t, such as the bars of their cage (if there are any), or their food bowl. This can be dangerous, particularly if they are made of plastic.
You’ll also see your gerbil chewing on their bedding. This is completely normal as it helps to breakdown the bedding into smaller pieces and moisten it, which makes it better for building tunnels.
Scent Marking/Belly Rubbing
Gerbils have scent glands on their stomachs which release hormones. To mark objects as their own, they will rub their bellies against them, releasing their scent.
Playing/Wrestling
If you have two gerbils living together, you may see them playing, wrestling, cuddling and grooming each other. All of these behaviors are completely normal if your gerbil lives in harmony with another.
Many owners choose to keep their gerbils alone because they often fight, especially Mongolian gerbils. If your gerbils are fighting, the gerbils may look in distress or there may be high-pitched squeaking.
You should separate your gerbils if they fight and owners often keep a spare cage for this reason.
If you want to keep a gerbil is pairs, fat-tailed gerbils are much more sociable than Mongolian gerbils.
Grooming
Gerbils will often groom themselves and/or other gerbils in their cage. This is completely natural, and they are just cleaning themselves or each other. Grooming between gerbils is a sign of affection and bonding, and is good for their social interaction.
Napping
Gerbils are diurnal, which means they are active during the day. However, they do spend around half the day napping, in short bursts. So, if you see your gerbil having a quick power nap, it’s completely normal!
Licking The Glass
If your gerbil is licking the glass of their tank, this is a sign that they are thirsty. Make sure they have access to clean, fresh water all the time.
Nose Rubbing
Gerbils will often rub their noses on other gerbils or try to rub their owner’s nose with their own. This is a sign of affection and shows your gerbil loves you!
Winking
If your gerbil winks, this is a sign they are content! You can even wink back at them — they’ll understand it is a sign of happiness.
Teeth Chattering (Purring)
Purring, just like winking, is another sign your gerbil is happy and content. Your gerbil may purr when you are petting them.
Squeaking
Squeaking is used by your gerbil to show a range of different emotions. Squeaking is often used to indicate that your gerbil feels they are in danger, but it can also mean excitement. Younger gerbils are usually more vocal than older ones.
Thumping
Thumping is when your gerbil lifts their hind legs and thumps them on the ground. In the wild, they do this to warn other gerbils of threats. Pet gerbils may do this when they feel unsafe, especially if they are in a new environment or new people or other animals are around.
If your gerbil thumps, try to avoid approaching them or startling them. Remember to always handle them with care.
Gerbil Behavior FAQs
Why is my gerbil not active?
Gerbils spend around half the day asleep or resting, so if your gerbil has periods of not being very active, this is nothing to worry about.
Ensure your gerbil has enough toys in their encolure to keep them entertained. Also ensure your gerbil is keeping exercised, so they’re not bored.
However, if your gerbil is consistently not active, this could be a sign there is something wrong. Check them over for any health issues and if you are concerned, make sure you take them to the vet.
Why isn’t my gerbil eating?
There are a number of reasons your gerbil may not be eating. The main reasons are: because they are sick, they don’t like their food, their teeth are too long, or they are old and dying.
You should be able to tell if your gerbil is sick or close to death, as they will be very lethargic and not themselves. If your gerbil just doesn’t like their food, you will probably still see them exhibiting other common hamster behaviors.
You could try giving your gerbil a treat and see if they will eat that. If they do, you know they are just being picky! However, if they are not interested in the treat, they may be suffering from health issues or dental issues.
If you believe they are suffering from these issues, take your gerbil to the vet for a checkup.
Is my gerbil depressed?
A gerbil can become sad or depressed for a number of reasons. The main causes of sadness and depression in gerbils are:
- Sickness
- Death of another gerbil
- Stress, from loud noises or lights
- Lack of space and toys
- Fighting with other gerbils
- Lack of bedding
If you are worried your gerbil is depressed, try to work out why and fix the issue. Your gerbil needs a lot of space to live, with lots of bedding for burrowing and toys to keep them mentally stimulated. Otherwise they can become bored and depressed.
If your gerbil is fighting with another gerbil, try separating them for a bit. If your gerbil is mourning the loss of another, you can help them overcome it by spending time with your pet and showing them affection, as well as giving them lots of chances to exercise.
To learn more about gerbil depression, read our article here.
What are the signs of a sick gerbil?
It can sometimes be difficult to tell if your gerbil is sick because they are so small. However, some of the main symptoms of sickness in your gerbil are:
- Losing weight
- Not eating
- Drooling
- Diarrhea
- Inactivity
- Rough haircoat
- Runny nose
- Warmer or colder body temperature than normal
- Hunched posture
If you suspect that your gerbil is sick, take them to the vet as soon as possible so they can get treated quickly.
