What do rodents need for comfort behaviour?

Comfort behaviour includes all activities that serve to care for the fur and body. This includes cleaning and licking their fur and taking sand or sun baths. For many rodents and smaller mammals, a sand bath is an essential part of their regular grooming behaviour. Bathing in sand removes dirt, excess moisture and grease from the fur and skin. For certain animal species, such as degus, chinchillas, Mongolian gerbils and various types of hamsters, providing a sand bath is a legal requirement.