Gerbils tend to have very social attitudes when greeting each other. This means they are content with you, so you may return the gesture showing you understand. This is not normal blinking that you are seeing and only do this with their owners. This is not uncommon that a gerbil will look at you and wink a single eye. After that, they will become worried or go back to their normal daily routine. Their eyes are not as good as their nose, so this gives them a better advantage for getting a scent.
The gerbil is always going to stand up on their hind legs to have a better view of things. If you see them grooming, they are content with you being near or around them. They may also choose to groom others because they are very social in groups. Gerbils love to groom themselves and they do it often and throughout the day. If they decide to make a nest elsewhere, they will do this simply from built-in habit. They prefer to have one burrow in their habitat that is their personal space. These little critters love to build a nest and will burrow as their nature dictates. This is a peaceful method that lets others in their cage know what belongs to which gerbil. A scent gland located on their belly allows them to transfer their scent onto anything that suits their interest. This is not an aggressive part of their behavior since they want to mark their territory to let others know that an item is theirs. If they sense something wrong they will begin to show other body signs. They use their sense of smell as a powerful tool to identify you and others in their cage. Your gerbil will stand up on their hind legs and start sniffing the air. They will also do this to assess their safety or situation. If they suddenly stop doing their usual activities and start to watch something, this is out of curiosity. Happy Gerbil Behavior Unhappy Gerbil Behavior Gerbil Sounds Watching you Burrowing Squeaking Sniffing the air Foot thumping Chirping Scent marking Paws crossed or folded over Chattering Burrowing and nesting Pushes your hand away Yipping Grooming Rearing up Purring Standing up tall Chewing on wire bars Winking an eye Aggressive to others Rubbing noses Repetitive movements Takes food from your hand Reduced diet Jumping in the air Red tears from stress Arching upward Seizures Paws at sides Bad toilet habits Hiding Licking cage Behavior and body language of a happy gerbil Watching youĪny gerbil is going to pay attention to what is happening outside its habitat. But what exactly do they try to tell you when you go to their habitat? This gerbil guide will tell you all about their natural behavior. Gerbils have a very interesting language that is expressed through noises and motions towards you and their cage mates. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Reddit