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)
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.
October 20th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
I have had a new Chinchilla for three weeks now and at night when she is in her cage she sometimes whines like a dog, usually four times in a row and quietly, and sometimes chirps. She also seems to be trying to look for a way out of her cage all the time.
Every day she is let out for a few hours and she just runs and hides behind the sofa.
Please help me, I think the Chinchilla is sad.
Oliver
October 6th, 2007 at 5:07 am
Steve,
Unless your chinchillas are chasing each other or fighting, I wouldn't worry about the situation you described. It sounds like they each have their preferences. Barking noises are common and we often hear them with no apparent reason. But what scares us and what scares a chinchilla are different so we assume they're hearing some noise off in the distance.
October 6th, 2007 at 12:10 am
I recently bought 2 male chinchillas and they make sort of a welcoming humble sound. However sometimes my gray one (Odin) will make sort of…like a bark noise…But nothing is happening to him..im very confused as to what he does it for…his brother Thor appears to have the cage to himself, Thor always uses the wheel, and Odin never uses it, Thor sleeps in the house and Odin sleeps on top of it, but they sometimes cuddle together… Is Odin unhappy because Thor uses most of the cage?
October 4th, 2007 at 9:28 pm
Marriah,
That is very unusual. We've haven't heard of that problem before. Have you tried moving the cage to another location to see if there is something causing the sneezing in the current location? You might also want to consider a full cage cleaning. If you've switch the type of bedding you use, that too could be a problem.