Gerbil behaviour and body language explained

What sounds do gerbils make?

Gerbils make far more sound than you can hear. Gerbil Care UK says they call at frequencies from about 5 to 50 kHz, in 13 different types of call, and most of it sits above the range of human hearing. A gerbil pair that seems silent may be chatting constantly. What reaches you is the lower end: squeaks and chirps, plus the sounds they make with their bodies.

Sources describe the meaning of thumping, purring and the ultrasonic range, but none breaks the audible squeaks down by type. Read squeaks alongside what the gerbils are doing: relaxed bodies and grooming mean chatter; arched backs and frantic chasing do not.

Why do gerbils thump?

To warn the clan. The RSPCA explains that a gerbil that senses a threat drums its back feet rapidly, and the whole group disappears into the burrow. It is also a sign of excitement or arousal, so a thump is not always stress. Gerbil Care UK adds that drumming can signal territory, a show of status or submission, but in a pet tank it is most often a warning. PetMD notes it can also be linked to mating.

Some gerbils drum more dramatically than others. Occasional thumping is normal. Constant thumping, or thumping every time you come near, tells you something in the room is worrying them or that taming needs to go slower.

Gerbil body language: what it means

Scent marking and the belly gland

Both sexes have a scent gland on the belly. The MSD Veterinary Manual describes it as an oval, hairless, orange-tan patch that can be mistaken for a tumour, larger in males after puberty. Gerbils rub it on objects to mark their territory, and the RSPCA says they also mark with their feet, urine and droppings. A large flat stone in the tank gives them something to mark. Check the gland when you handle your gerbil, because Gerbil Care UK notes tumours can form there.

Gerbil behaviour: what is normal every day?

• Busy in bursts day and night, with many naps in between
• Most active around dawn and dusk
• Digging and rebuilding tunnels, often against the glass
• Shredding cardboard and paper into nest material
• Burying food and moving it around the tank
• Rolling in the sand bath
• Running on the wheel, often in short sprints
• Grooming each other and sleeping together in one nest
• Gnawing wood, cardboard and chews

Gerbils are not nocturnal. Gerbil Care UK and PetMD describe them as most active at dawn and dusk, and Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic says they are roughly equally active day and night. The RSPCA notes wild gerbils spend more time underground in winter, so a gerbil that digs in and naps more in cold months may just be following its instincts.

Digging is the heart of gerbil life. The RSPCA says gerbils must be able to dig and hide at all times. If yours cannot, you will see the frustration in repetitive corner digging. See gerbil digging and burrowing for the bedding depth that stops it.

Signs gerbils are fighting, not playing

Play is short and relaxed; fighting escalates. Gerbil Care UK says boxing, light chasing and mounting are normal, and that adolescence at about 6 to 8 months is a common time for gerbils to test each other. These are the signs a pair or group is breaking up, which Gerbil Care UK calls de-clanning:

• They no longer sleep together
• One gerbil chases another constantly and aggressively
• Chasing so fierce they bang into the glass
• One gerbil pins another to the ground
• Side arching or shoulder barging
• One gerbil cowering or hiding all the time
• Wounds, often around the rear, or blood in the tank
• One gerbil stopping another from eating or drinking

For milder squabbles, Gerbil Care UK advises against separating straight away, because even a few hours apart can make gerbils forget each other's scent. Remove the cause first: provide two water bottles and two wheels, scatter food instead of using a bowl, offer one nest box, and pause free-roaming. Our guide to gerbil pairs, clans and split cages covers re-bonding step by step.

How to tame a gerbil

Slowly and with treats. Gerbil Care UK and Supreme Petfoods both start with a settling period, then talking softly near the tank, then treats offered on an open hand. Supreme Petfoods gives at least a week before handling and two weeks to two months for the whole process.

1. Let them settle. Leave new gerbils for about a week. Feed and water, but do not reach in or dig up their burrows.
2. Be there. Sit by the tank and talk softly every day so they learn your voice.
3. Offer treats near your hand. Half a pumpkin seed beside your hand, palm up, resting on the bedding.
4. Treats on your palm. Once they take treats near you, put them in your palm so the gerbil steps on to reach.
5. Scoop low. When a gerbil sits on your hand, cup it with both hands from below, close to your body and over a soft surface.

Never lift a gerbil by the tail: Gerbil Care UK warns the skin can strip away. Our full guide on how to tame your gerbil goes day by day and covers biting and nervous gerbils.

Why does my gerbil bite?

Usually fear, a surprise or food. Supreme Petfoods warns that treats pushed through cage bars teach gerbils to bite fingers, and the MSD Veterinary Manual says not to startle a gerbil or pick it up while it is asleep. Gentle nibbles that do not break the skin are grooming, not biting. A real bite is quick and sharp. Put the gerbil back calmly, wash the bite with soap and water, as Supreme Petfoods advises, and go back a step in taming.

Are gerbils friendlier than hamsters?

For most families, yes, in day-to-day life. Gerbils live in pairs, are awake in bursts during the day, and Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic says they rarely bite. They are curious and come to investigate a hand. But they are watchers more than cuddlers. Wood Green says they rarely enjoy being handled, and Supreme Petfoods notes they are so quick that small children find them hard to hold. If you want to watch a busy little colony build and dig, gerbils win. Our gerbil care guide sets out what they need, and gerbil enrichment has ideas to keep them busy.