These clever little animals can spend 12 hours a day napping, and in the wild, their napping schedule is a survival mechanism. Gerbils always live in groups, and a few are always on guard to alert the clan if any danger is near or predators are approaching. They do so by stomping their feet to sound the alarm.
There are around 100 different species of gerbils and about 40 different color variations. Mongolian gerbils are naturally golden brown.
Scientists have found gerbils to have a high amount of emotional and social intelligence, which they demonstrate through their complex social skills, spatial awareness, and excellent memories.
These gentle, popular pets are very inquisitive and motivated when they’re trained with treats, and they thrive with companionship.
Their teeth should be yellow or orange, and if they’re not, it would indicate a mineral deficiency.
They’re grateful for bedding that allows them to tunnel, something they’d do naturally, and it must be dust-free for their sensitive respiratory system.
Classified as metaturnal, gerbils are active both during the day and at night.
They communicate using ultrasonic sound. Though we can hear some squeaks they make, we can’t hear the majority of their conversations.
We can only hear sounds up to 20 kilohertz, and gerbils use ultrasonic sounds and hear frequencies up to 60 kilohertz.