Gerbils are adorable and utterly entertaining creatures! They each have their own personalities and behave in different ways. But there are a few basic key points of every gerbil's behavior.
Digging: Gerbils love to dig and will avidly dig through just about anything they can crawl through. From tunnels filled with tissue paper to a pile of moss, aspen bedding, and even a pile of blankets on the floor (adorable right!?).
Eating: Seeds, fruits, vegetables, tree branches, leaves, greens, you name it- gerbils will eat it. They are great eaters, and will eat just about anything you feed them. Keep your gerbil entertained with a large variety of things to snack on. And focus on creating a well-balanced daily diet for them so they remain happy and healthy.
Chewing: Gerbil's teeth grow much faster than a humans, and in order for their teeth to stay healthy- they need to chew. Supply your gerbil with maple branches, chew toys, and even bits of all-natural unpolished wood for them to chew on. All of these things will work to the advantage your little critter's chompers.
Tunneling: What's the difference between tunneling and digging? Digging typically occurs underground, while tunneling can occur anywhere. Gerbils like to explore small spaces. Things like paper towel rolls and crevices in doors and cabinets and a gerbils favorite spot. That's why it's especially important to supervise your gerbils when they are outside of their cage- for they can easily escape even an enclosed area. On the other hand- you can inspire your gerbil's tunneling behavior by decorating your gerbil's habitat with lots of tunneling areas.
Socializing: Whether it's bickering with a fellow gerbil or cuddling with their human- gerbils love to socialize. They are very loving creatures and need to give and receive love in order to be happy. Typically females are less social than males and are better in pairs of two. Males on the other hand are happier with three to four friends in their colony.
Scavenging: In the wild gerbils hunt for their food. They search the ground for fallen fruits, seeds, vegetables, and nuts. And inspiring this behavior in captivity can help enhance their daily life. Scatter some food around their cage to inspire them to 'find' their food instead of having it always ready in a bowl. For fresh fruits and vegetables we do recommend a bowl though, because it is easy to change out and avoids rot.
Nest Building: Gerbils build nests for a variety of reasons- but most importantly to stay motivated and to make a home. Gerbils can make nests out of anything. In the wild they use dry grass, feathers, fur, and any bits of soft somethings they come by. Domesticated gerbils can use all sorts of things to nest with including bath tissue, paper towels, computer paper, bits of cardboard, undyed all-natural feathers, and even bits of cotton fabric.
Bathing: Because gerbil's originate from the dessert they don't take baths in a typical way (with water) rather, they bathe in dust.Yep, dust baths! To give your gerbil a dust bath poor some chinchilla sand (that you can find at your local pet store) into a small class bowl or container. The container should be big enough for your gerbil to fully stretch out in. Set it in their habitat and let them 'roll around' in the dust. It may take them a few times to get used to it, but that's okay. Soon they'll be master bathers! Let them bathe two to three times a week for about ten minutes each time.