 Although they move slowly when compelled to travel along the ground, and make slow deliberate movements while feeding or grooming, they are agile in the trees, moving rapidly and constantly twitching their whiskers and ears.Under laboratory conditions, the rats remain in family groups of mated pairs, but are intolerant of any strangers, often attacking them.They have been observed to make high-pitched, musical chirps and trills, while males sometimes make lower pitched grunts towards established mates.