You will notice this when one of your females is in heat. When a female is in heat, the male or males nearby will want to mate with her. Female gerbils are in heat regularly, around once every four or five days.
You will also notice this behavior when you have a male and female pair in a split cage. If they start drumming frequently, this may be a sign they want to mate. Both the male and female will stamp before mating. They squeak, they drum, and they use body language too.
Stomping is a good way of getting attention. Gerbils are hard-wired to respond to stomping with excitement. It is also possible for gerbils to stomp randomly. Often, one gerbil will get spooked by something that you overlook. It could be something like a shadow, a reflected light, or a quiet noise.
It will then start stomping for what seems like no reason. Some owners also think that gerbils stomp to show off. Furthermore, gerbils will join in stomping when one gerbil stomps.
One might start stomping for any reason, and the rest in the cage will join in. Then, because these gerbils are drumming, those in another cage on the other side of the room will join in. Some owners state that you can hear the difference between the different kinds of stomp. The warning stomp is louder and repeats: so, stomp stomp stomp pause… stomp stomp stomp pause… stomp stomp stomp! The mating stomp is different.
You can also determine why your pet is drumming based on other behaviors. Gerbils make nice pets and are fascinating to watch. Gerbils are very social animals, and it is not a good idea to keep them singly. Pair bonded or family units of gerbils are usually quite affectionate with each other.
Gerbils love to play, chasing each other around, wrestling and boxing. They will also groom one another, sleep in piles, and cuddle together. Your gerbils will be much happier if kept at least in pairs same sex unless you plan to breed, which requires a lot more care. Some gerbils will fight, although this is sometimes difficult to distinguish from the play wrestling or boxing behaviour commonly exhibited.
Often, one animal will appear distressed and loud high pitched squeaks may be heard, and the behaviour appears more intense and violent than play. Some gerbils, however, just cannot seem to get along. Young gerbils in the wild are sent off to find their own territories, so family groups may begin fighting as the babies mature. If so, they need to be separated. It may also press its face against the other gerbil and its fur may stand up on edge.
These are signs of aggression and anger. If this occurs, try to separate the two gerbils before they start wrestling or fighting. Be careful when separating the gerbils, as you do not want to get injured. Make sure you introduce the gerbils properly. If they fight again when you reintroduce them, they may need to be housed separately.
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Corey Sutherland Feb 1, Since gerbils develop an understanding of foot stomping through observing their elders, the wee ones may just be mimicking mom and dad -- nothing more, nothing less.
By using the site, you agree to the uses of cookies and other technology as outlined in our Policy, and to our Terms of Use. Notification of a Possibly Approaching Threat A gerbil stomping his hind feet usually is attempting to warn others near him of an approaching menace, usually a predator. An Expression of Surprise If a gerbil is caught off guard by something and feels surprised, he also may stomp his feet in a rhythmic manner. Stomping Associated With Mating If a gerbil stomps his feet, it can indicate that he wants to mate and is totally prepared to do so.
Young Gerbils Gerbil youngsters that live with their parents also may do a lot of foot stomping, even if there is no sign of a threat or danger at all.
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