Gerbil Chirping? [Archive]

MagnoliaFly

11-04-02, 06:19 AM 11-04-02

I have a friend at work who just recently got a gerbil and bought another gerbil for him to bond with. She's introduced them successfuly and even got them to groom eachother without boxing or fighting.
Now recently the new gerbil chirps when the other gerbil comes near it. I dont know what it means and cant find anything on the internet about it.

Is this a warning vocalization or just a friendly hello?

TheGerbilLady

11-09-02, 05:06 PM 11-09-02

Mine cherrp all the time that is there way of talking to one another.. If they wornt gona get along it would have happen right away when she first put them inot the same cage...

Gypsy Gerbils

12-10-04, 06:12 AM 12-10-04

I know that when gerbils chirp, it means one of three things: they are being born(gerbil pups make this noise), they are hurt or irratated, or they are just being plain stubborn and cranky.

MonoOmoi

12-10-04, 06:40 AM 12-10-04

Actually, gerbils squeak or chirp all the time as a form of communication amongst themselves. However, usually the only time these sounds are audible to humans are usually when the gerbils are not full grown, or when they are very upset or hurt. I have had gerbils in the past that have made sounds for no apparent reason, though. Your friend should probably keep a close eye on her gerbils for awhile to make sure they don't start fighting, but I would say if this keeps happening and they are still happy together, grooming, etc, then she just has one of the noiser gerbils in the world and there isn't a problem.

gerbilgurluk04

12-10-04, 01:07 PM 12-10-04

my boys cherp when one of them has a nice peice of food, and another is trying to steal it off him!!!

Cenn

12-11-04, 01:05 AM 12-11-04

Well - depends on their age..
as was said before, if not fully grown their voice is fairly ow, and we can here them :)

when only of my girls was about 6-8 weeks old, she shattered non stop. Quite cute actually.

Now they seem to have realised that we can here and react to them sometimes, and when we come to play with them, if they start short chips repeatedly it means "go away". If we are outside and they can see us, we sometimes hear "crying" - long chirps - which mean "come an play with us" as every time we come to investigate those crys they will come out to play immediately :)