|
Post by tracy on Oct 12, 2006 19:24:49 GMT -8
What noises do your gerbils make? And what do they mean? I often hear squeaking like tiny birds when they are grooming, but I don't know if it means "that feels really good" or "you're doing it too hard!" Then there's teeth chattering. Sometimes they do this when they're walking on my lap, but they also do it when they seem agitated (Nutmeg did this in recovery from his SGT surgery and I think he might have been a wee bit cross). And sometimes they'll stand up and look right at me while moving their lips, but I can't hear anything. It's so funny! This morning I heard a steady, regular peep, peep, peep -rather like a truck backing up ;D And I swear sometimes Mochi barks, just once, a deep "bop!" I think he's just trying to get my attention. Any thing else, and any clue what they're trying to tell us?
Tracy
|
|
|
Post by solitairedaxel on Oct 22, 2006 13:17:39 GMT -8
No clue. All three of mine have two types of squeak. One type sounds more like a chirp and the other seems like a breathy whistle. I've noticed when I heard the chirp the first time two gerbies were meeting nose to nose in their new tank a few hours after I'd brought them home and put them in, so at first I thought one was reminding the other of his identity. Now I'm not so sure. Originally I had both squeaks in one category: "I'm being harassed" with two meanings: "You're squashing me" when one gerbil's climbing over another and "This is *my* food" when one gerbie has food and the second is trying to steal it. Recently I noticed that they actually have two different types of squeak but unfortunately they're usually out of sight when they squeak.
|
|
|
Post by torren on Oct 25, 2006 3:04:05 GMT -8
I havent quite realized the difference between squeeks with my gerbils, but i know they have different meanings. When one was grooming the other, (usually sonic grooming tails, i think) tails had a tendancy to squeek. I dont think it was one of those "hey, your being too rough!" things, because tails looked like he was in heaven =D The other squeek was the one i found Tails hiding with. They sounded almost the same, so at first i thought they were grooming again, but yeah. no. Sonic was on the wheel and tails was hiding and squeeking constantly. thats more of a "Get him outta here!" kinda squeek. but they sounded the same to me o.o;
I'm sure there are others with different meanings, i just havent heard them or dont know them Then again, i've only had gerbils for a month lol
|
|
|
Post by solitairedaxel on Oct 31, 2006 2:08:06 GMT -8
After listening and watching, I think the chirp is to tell the other gerbil either his identity or just point out that he's there (I hear it frequently when one gerbie returns to the tank and goes into a burrow already occupied by another). The more whistly-type squeak I've noticed when one gerbie is sitting in a corner minding his own business and another is trying to burrow to Mongolia round him. lol. I'd guess that's one gerbie telling the other that he's being a pest but the first gerbie is either too lazy or too tired to move. It seems to be the same squeak used when an attempt is made to steal food, but I'm not entirely sure yet. I've had them about three and a half weeks now and I already want more. lol
|
|