Mad Digging Gerbil!! read for details............?

Question

My black gerbil, lives with his brother, a white gerbil, and the black one (Peanut) madly digs!! here's what i know of gerbil digging so far:
1. digging on the glass - instinct to dig when they reach a dead end
2. digging - they naturally dig burrows
BUT tater, my white gerbil, doesn't barely ever dig, he's more the chewer in the relationship, but Peanut runs around digging for no purpose for hours. and he runs up to the glass and starts digging, so i don't think he thinks he's at a dead end.
SO is it normal for Peanut to run around digging at random places, bcuz he's not accomplishing anything when he does, and usually gerbils have a reason, such as tunneling, but Peanut like i said randomly does it. is he frustrated or being a happy gerbil, bcuz he looks hypnotized, lol!! also why isn't Tater doing it?

thanks, anything will help, and no rude comments please!!

i already have mounds of carefresh fluff in there, so that's not the problem, plus i do try to let them out in their gerbil ball as much as i can

stephie girl, what the heck is seperating them going to accomplish, i didn't say anything about them fighting, so maybe you should read next time

kate q, i already have a wheel for them, i don't see how that would help though

Answer 1

The difference between the brothers is just due to personality. Peanut's digging at the glass is the only part that's not normal. Or rather, it is normal, but it's not a good thing. This is what's known as stereotypic behavior, like animals pacing at the zoo, or horses weaving in their stalls. In the wild, gerbils are born and raised in burrows. In captivity, they are often raised in above-ground nests, because it's easier for the owner to keep an eye on them. When they are raised in an above ground environment, they develop stereotypic behaviors- most often, compulsively digging in corners.

Your boys already have this behavior pattern ingrained, so you may never be able to make it go away entirely. A nest box will help; the less light that can get in, the better. Lots of shavings and timothy hay, so that they can make a tunnel system of their own, that will stay up. Aspen shavings are the best substrate for tunneling.

You can also make a nest box for them:
http://www.sensi-media.com/gerbil/practical1.htm

Excellent articles on stereotypic digging:
http://www.gerbils.co.uk/gerbils/burrow.htm
http://www.awionline.org/pubs/cq02/Cq-gerb.html (about halfway through)

Answer 2

1) Gerbil!! Without a doubt. 2) Gerbils are extremely clean animals, depending on how many Gerbils you own, they rarely need to be cleaned out more than once every two weeks. 3) Gerbils are definitely more friendly. 4) Alot more active too. Unlike Hamsters, Gerbils are not nocturnal which means that they are not asleep all day and awake all night. 5) As I said before, Gerbils rarely need cleaning out. All they need is some food, water and plenty of love and affection!! 6) Gerbils are more active than Hamsters which means that they don't particularly enjoy staying still I'm afraid! 7) Rodents are very "cuddly". If you are after a pet you can cuddle, I suggest you get a dog or cat instead. Hope this helps

Answer 3

Your gerbils are happy guys, and might be happier with stuff to burrow into, like a mound of straw or something they can dig into and fluff up all over on top of them. Maybe they just want to cover themselves up and can't find anything that will do the trick, like the sliding glass door, hay it aint.

Answer 4

it all depends on the type of personality they have. i also have gerbils too. they both like to dig around. my brown gerbil will spend an hour chewing on the bars of my cage, while all my black one does is dig around. maybe peanut is stressed out. like i said my gerbil's always biting the bars. when i let him out in a hamster ball or in a little container, he stops. maybe you should let peanut out for while every day.

Answer 5

That's cute. I think it's probably normal, and you just have a quirky gerbil. My hamster goes to great lengths to move all his bedding to one corner in his aquriaum.

Answer 6

1.try to give them a bigger area to move around in 2. add tubes 3.give them a wheel

Answer 7

thats perfectly normal. i know someone that has some and all they do is go around digging. they are crazy little things. they are really cute tho.

Answer 8

bury treats in the bedding for him. he may be frustrated that he's not finding anything or getting anywhere.

Answer 9

may b he jus doesn't wanna dig

Answer 10

You should separatte them.