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)
November 9th, 2008 at 12:26 am
Hopefully one of you out there will be able to answer my question! If you have multiple chinchillas, I'm sure you and I have shared the same problem.
A year ago I brought a male chinchilla home to accompany my female chinchilla who is 6 months older. So, for the few months prior to his arrival, she was used to be alone with me and has since become very territorial over any space so therefore, they're in seperate cages. I have them facing each other in hopes they'll get along well enough to mate at some point or to at least get along, but nothing for a year! Anytime they're out in the bathroom together they're chasing and fighting. Poor, shy male is losing his fur because he gets stressed so easily.
What's a chin owner to do? Will they eventually get along, but how much damage does it do them to be chasing each other like that?
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.