What's the body shake Gerbils do, mean?Pls post observations

[Markpd]

I'm referring to a brief twisting shake, as if they're shaking off water, only no water has touched them.

I've been meaning to create this thread for a good few weeks, but didn't have any footage to show it. At least one of my boys was doing it relatively often (I don't recall Avon and Blake doing it though).

After I started reading LilyandDaisy thread about a recent split intro I spotted it a couple of times, this one is fairly clear. I suppose it's possible on this occasion that he is just shaking some bedding off as he's just exited it. But I have seen it on plenty of occasions where there is no bedding (like when Gan runs around the hallway), also in L&D's 3rd video here, he hadn't been under the bedding.

I can't 'decode' what it means, dissatisfaction about something maybe??

Thoughts?

[LilyandDaisy]

I would guess one of two things:

- Shaking bedding/other stuff off. Since gerbils can't really see their own backs, it's possible they might feel like something is there when there really isn't (a kind of phantom sensation). I think this explanation is the most likely because I often see gerbils shake after sand bathing.

- Maybe it just feels good. Like how we like to stretch sometimes, or if we've writing for a long time it can feel good to shake our hand. Maybe it just feels satisfying for a gerbil to shake like that.

I suppose any individual gerbil might be prone to shaking for no particular reason, just as a habit, like how some people will often cough or clear their throat for no particular reason.

[Markpd]

Point 2, yea true, but re point 1 I've often seen them do it when they haven't been in or near any bedding for sometime (my earlier example with Gan in the hallway).

I found another example of it happening with your Astra [edit. opps Twiglet], though it could be caused by the 'bedding' (forage mix), the timing just seems too perfect for a behaviour reaction as she does it just after tasting and dropping a flower head.

I would also like other owners thoughts on this if they've seen it in their gerbils (where bedding etc irritation hasn't likely been a factor).
I'm sure betty , TJ's Rodent Ranch must have seen this on occasions too?

[LilyandDaisy]

That's Twiglet in the video

It's definitely a common behaviour with gerbils but I've never thought much about what it means. I suppose it could have been a reaction to something that tasted bitter or otherwise unpleasant? Like a kind of shudder. Twiglet had just tasted a piece of dried carrot which normally tastes sweet but maybe that piece wasn't what she was expecting.

[betty]

Me too. I just assumed it was like an itch or a shudder from a wide variety of possible causes. Never really thought of it as a negative or worrisome thing.

However, if anyone is noticing it regularly with their gerbils than perhaps it is something we could be gathering a bit more anecdotal infor on - incase we start to spot a pattern?

[TJ's Rodent Ranch]

Yes, I have seen this before, although I've never been too concerned about it, since it was always fairly isolated.

I think the possibility of a phantom sensation is a good explanation for it. This could happen even if they haven't been in bedding or surrounded by anything like that in a while. It could just be a feeling of something on their back or something prickling their skin that causes them to do it. It could even be if the way their fur was lying felt off to them.

It's also possible that it's just a small, involuntary muscle spasm. For example for humans, a common muscle spasm is when we have an eye twitch that we just can't quite get rid of.

Although less likely, it could also be a sort of 'fidget' behavior. How someone might tap their fingers together or twitch their foot as a choice and not a spasm.

I think there could be a number of theories as to the cause, but if we could rule out as many of them as possible we might be able to at least create a basic understanding for this behavior.

[Markpd]

Mar 29, 2024 8:50:56 GMT -8 betty said:

Me too. I just assumed it was like an itch or a shudder from a wide variety of possible causes. Never really thought of it as a negative or worrisome thing.

However, if anyone is noticing it regularly with their gerbils than perhaps it is something we could be gathering a bit more anecdotal infor on - incase we start to spot a pattern?

I never meant negative as in worrisome or concerning (not sure where that came from ), but as in the the gerbil just had a (slightly) negative experience. e.g unpleasant taste of food, or being blocked from doing something, or perhaps simply changing their mind about something.

And yes I think it would be interesting if we could narrow down and document what cause, or more likely causes this behaviour. In an ideal world video footage would be great for this, but it would be very hard to video this until we know what triggers it, catch 22 there! lol. 

So aside from the odd lucky video shot, if we could document here what we saw just before it happened, then perhaps after a few dozen reports we can narrow down the causes.

I'm just curious of this as I haven't seen it documented before (nor do I recall it being even just mentioned, but I might've forgotten any odd mentions).

Let me think of the format.....

Referring to L&Ds 3 instances.

1. From video (in my op) 16-1-24 pt3 4:34s, (unknown name) gerbil goes to move to the right towards item in ctr of cage, stops, then carries on in original direction (gerbil is walking on bedding).

2. Same video as above, @11:12s this time, touches/sniffs same item, then shakes and moves on (gerbil is walking on bedding).

3. Twiglet (from video @1:20s in my post 29/3), she picks up a dried piece of carrot, nibbles it briefly, drops it, then shakes (gerbil is walking in dried forage).

Hmm, the key to noting the precise steps for me for these 3 was being able to rewind a video and watch it multiple times, I'm not sure I'd be able to see and remember the precise steps from just observations! Hopefully you guys can if I can't!

LilyandDaisy Re first 2 instances, is that item in the middle of the cage a piece of food? (also, what was the gerbil's name?)

And yes I was thinking too that it looked like a shudder!

[LilyandDaisy]

Mar 31, 2024 7:08:53 GMT -8 Markpd said:

perhaps simply changing their mind about something.

I wondered this too, if it might something gerbils do when they've decided to change course or do something different.

The item in the middle of the cage was a piece of wood previously used to hold the split tank divider in place, and the gerbil's name was Bob.

[LilyandDaisy]

I noticed another shake tonight! I'm going to be seeing these everywhere now. Twiglet was eating a chunk of banana (one of her favourite foods) and when it seemed like she'd had enough, she dropped the banana, shook her head and neck - not the whole body - and then moved on to another food.

In this case it does seem like it might have been a "change of mind" shudder. I don't think the banana tasted bad to her since she eating it before. She had just had enough of it.

[Markpd]

I noticed another shake tonight! I'm going to be seeing these everywhere now.


Interesting! I'll have to watch out to see if my boys do a 1/2 shake, not sure that they ever have AFAIR.

[betty]

Mar 29, 2024 8:50:56 GMT -8 betty said:

Me too. I just assumed it was like an itch or a shudder from a wide variety of possible causes. Never really thought of it as a negative or worrisome thing.

It came from me - it was my thoughts on them? I never really thought of them as a worrisome or negative thing, so I haven't studied them or really spent time trying to figure out what they meant. I just assumed it was like an itch or a shudder.


I do however, like the idea of them being a shake to change thoughts, although I can't yet see/think why they would need to do that.

[Markpd]

I didn't think it was worrisome thing or negative-bad thing either , when I mentioned negative I was referring to perhaps the gerbil experiencing something negative/unpleasant.
A bit like many gestures, some involuntary and many we don't need to do either. Like a shudder from tasting something strong?

Anyway, would be curious to hear what you observe if any of your gerbils do that