Chinchillas make a variety of sounds. The most common is a "barking" sound that they make to indicate that they're scared and to warn other chinchillas of danger. On occasion, our chinchillas will bark if there's a particularly loud car going by the house or if there's an unusual noise outside.
Other sounds include a soft cooing that might indicate playfulness and comfort. A very quiet chirping can be heard while the chinchilla is exploring a new place. Some sounds will originate from the grinding of teeth, which they will sometimes do after eating. They also sometimes sneeze audibly, sometimes from the fine dust in their bath.
For a better understanding of the sounds that chinchillas make, check out Michael's collection of chinchilla recordings.
Contact and Communication Sounds
Mating Sounds
Baby Sounds
Protest and Defence Sounds
Rage and Anger
Warning and Alarm Calls (barking chins)
Chewing and Gnawing
Sources:
Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
Entries (RSS)
July 27th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
i have a chin that is about 2.5 years old. last summer her sister died of a heat stroke and i have been considering getting a second chin, so give her a companion. i know how much she enjoyed her sisters company and she had always lived with other chins so when her sis died she was really lonely for quite some time….i think shes used to being alone now, but sometime i think she would be happier with a friend. so my question is…if i get a second chin…i was going to get a girl, dont want a bunch of chins, but should i get a baby, or one about her age…i was thinking of adopting one somewhere, is it risky to put two adult chins together. how is can i best get them used to eachother. any advice would be great….and another thing….my one chin, she is very shy, always has been, she's playful when shes awake, but she doesnt want you to touch or hold her….she'll climb on you, but then hops away again once you pay attention to her. any tips on getting your chin to be more comfortable around you and more cuddly?
July 20th, 2008 at 12:48 am
I have a chinchilla who does the warning bark quite a bit when I'm away. I have to leave on occasion and he really doesn't like it. Worse off the family is afraid of him. I've tried to give them lots of pointers on how to keep him calm, but something about me being gone doesn't sit well with him. What should I do?
June 22nd, 2008 at 10:53 am
NLC,
We've never heard of a totally silent chinchilla. However, it could very well be that your constant presence is constant reassurance. Our would only bark when we weren't in the room with them. Once we'd go into the room, the barking would stop.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:10 am
This seems like a silly question but… Have you ever had a 'mute' chinchilla? My chinchilla, Marty, is an extremely active, healthy guy. But I have NEVER heard him make a single noise. Not even a soft grunt or anything. Literally, no sound what-so-ever. Its a little bit weird.
I sleep in the same room as his cage, and spend the majority of my free time in the same room on the computer. I would say I spend over half of my day in Marty's room… but never has he made the slightest noise. At first I wrote it off as a personality trait. Figured he was just a quiet guy. But after so long I have never heard a peep, it makes me wonder if there is something physiologically wrong with him.
It is a little irritating because I cannot always tell what mood he is in. Like if he is running around his cage excitedly, I cannot tell if he is just hyper or agitated about something.
October 30th, 2007 at 11:34 pm
Hi!
I recently adopted a pet chinchilla from a friend of mine who rescued it from the pet shelter. It was taken to the shelter by a store owner who said it had been running around the neighbourhood and in and out of stores. It was finally cornered and caught and was discovered to be very cuddly.
My friend had it for a couple months and then I took it. I lived on Vancouver Island for about a month with it, travelling at times for my job (a friend watched it). Then I moved to Calgary and travelled with the chin via plane. They wouldn't let me take him in the cabin with me, so he had to go under the plane.
When we got home he started making squealing noises from time to time. And I noticed he was covered in urine immediately after the trip, so I'm thinking he got really scared, either by the noise or the experience, and did that urine defense move. But he's still really cuddly, if not more "needy" than before.
So when I cuddle with him he'll crawl into my hoodie and lie with me in there on the couch. From time to time I'll hear a noise, but it's more like feeling a noise and the only thing I can liken it to is purring. Do chins purr?
Also, he gets exercise in a big ball that he goes in and then he runs around the house in that, often following me and placing it carefully between both my feet (so cute!). Is that enough exercise for him?
We had to leave his cage behind (too big) and so he currently lives in the travel carrier I brought him in, getting time each day in his sand bath, and every minute I'm home he's either in his sand bath, in his ball, or in my hoody. He really seems to hate the carrier, but he's tolerating it. I'm planning on getting him a real cage when I move to my permanent address in ~ 15 days. Is that too long to use the travel carrier?
Also, once I get my permanent place I'll be bringing home my black lab dog (so gentle and loving with all things) and my cat. My dog is 3 yrs old and my cat 10 and they both think they own me. Any suggestions for making the transition easier on all of them?
Also, do chins wear leashes? It would be easier to have him out of the ball if I could put a harness on him and he could crawl around on me while I walk around.
lol I guess I have a lot of questions! Loving this site so far, thanks for sharing so much!
Rebecca.