Prevention of stereotypic / compulsive digging!

[Ritzie/Admin]

Anyone who keeps Mongolian gerbils knows the problem: the gerbils constantly dig in the corners of their cage. This is not just normal digging behaviour, because of its characteristic it can be described as so-called stereotyped digging. There is a simple method that can prevent gerbils from developing this behaviour. Many people hypothesised that this behaviour was influenced by a too small cage size. Christoph Wiedenmayer, a Swiss psychologist, has proven with experiments that this is not the case. Stereotyped digging behaviour was not affected by cage size. The result of his further experiments is quite simple: if gerbils grow up in an environment with a "burrow" they won't develop stereotyped digging behaviour. The essential fact is that the "burrow" must have a tunnel and a chamber connected to it. When the gerbils were only given a shelter without a tunnel, stereotyped digging occurred. All gerbils in his experiments that grew up in a setting with an artificial burrow, a tunnel connected to a chamber, didn't show stereotypes. Vera Brückmann has tried this with one of her gerbil families with an large aquarium, and with 2/3 of the cage filled with wood shavings mixed with hay and some cardboard tubes, so the gerbils were able to dig tunnels and chambers that won't collapse. Her gerbils built up a nice burrow system that changed from day to day. The results of her experiment were indeed that the gerbils that were born in a burrow didn't develop stereotyped digging behaviour. When placed in a cage without a "burrow" they started digging in the corners, but after returning in a cage with a burrow they stopped digging in the corners and never showed any stereotyped digging behaviour. Gerbils that haven't grown up in a burrow will always dig in the corners, but when given a burrow they did do this less. So we can conclude that if you keep your gerbils from birth in a cage with an artificial burrow (a tunnel connected to a chamber) or when you give them the chance to dig their own burrow, your gerbils won't develop stereotyped digging behaviour.

I'm going to make one myself for my gerbils!



For more info:
www.petermaas.nl/gerbils/behaviour.htm#comp
www.gerbils.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/gerbils/burrow.htm
www.gerbilsuk.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/practical1.htm
www.forschung3r.ch/fr/publications/bu16.html
www.awionline.org/pubs/cq02/Cq-gerb.html

[j]

lol I read that site before. The guy had a tank with a huge burrow system and he didn't clean it for like 6 months and they had a few litters in there. I found it the most interesting that there were no fights. Although he probably doesn't know cause he doesn't even know how many gerbils were in there.

Definitly doesn't have to do with cage size. They just want more tunnels and like to change their 'burrow' around a lot. I let mine loose in my room which they love, however they have to stay in one corner and dig. Drives me nuts.

When I give them a huge set up of habitrail tubes, they do the Compulsive digging/burrowing thing in the tubes.

I always get them to stop by throwing a new box in the tank.

[Ritzie/Admin]

The research said that it only works when they are born in an artificial burrow (tunnel with dark chamber)! When they already dig stereotypically (are are not born in a burrow) they they only dig less with such a burrow, but it can than not be stopped anymore.

My gerbils also dig in the corners or in their nesting boxes (flowerpots), and the sound drives me sometimes nuts too! ;D

[j]

I have a 2nd litter on the way. I'm considering doing this lol But then I won't be able to see them..cause if I ruin her burrow trying..she'll spend hours fixing it..

Or I could NOT look at them and then end up with them scared of people. I'm not worried about them being taken care of, my gerbil is a great mom.

And I'd have to use Aspen or Carefresh and I won't know if they get any respitory problems.
But it looks cool..

I liked this one..lol..