Why do chinchillas make sounds? Chinchilla sounds have unique meanings. Chinchilla screams during the day

The sounds made by chinchillas are very diverse. Animals communicate with each other using a certain number of signals, which, thanks to their variations, different pitches and melody, add up to special language.

Naturally, more talkative chinchillas living in a group. These animals rarely “speech” to humans or talk to themselves. With their relatives they whistle, squeak, grumble and even make a sound reminiscent of barking.

Among their signals are the following:

Baby squeak

Chinchillas make very high-pitched and loud sounds. More often they use a communication signal (for example, a child cannot find his mother) or a hunger signal. It is a demanding and often repetitive sound. When the mother is nearby and the baby is full, it coos in a subtle, iridescent manner. This is a signal of pleasure. Small chinchillas are generally more sociable than adults.

Signals of connection and satisfaction

Sounds of communication: call and response. The sound is soft, similar to grunting or cooing. The animal, left alone, can thus check where its fellow tribesmen are. The calling signal can also be addressed to the owner. For example, a chinchilla grumbles to attract a person's attention so that it can be fed or let out of its cage. The call sounds louder and more abruptly than the response.

An animal coos in much the same way, happy with life and everything that happens around it.

Sounds denoting protest, discontent

Protest and dissatisfaction are expressed by an angry long squeak, reminiscent of a jerky groan. Perhaps, if one animal took a tasty piece of treat from another or pushed a neighbor out of a hammock, then you will hear an offended and irritated voice, which, however, does not conceal a threat.

One type of signal of dissatisfaction is the so-called “quacking.” This is already a dangerous signal. The chinchilla begins to get angry and warns that he will now move from defense to attack. This sound is also used to tell a person that their attention is too intrusive.

Sounds of anger, anger

"Quacking" is accompanied by gnashing of teeth. The animals stand in a threatening pose and raise their front legs. Short skirmishes are possible. So chinchillas can scare away other “claimants” for their food if there is not enough of it and protect their territory. Or a mother, angry at the restless cubs who caused her pain during feeding, tries to calm them down with her voice.

Warning signal (alarm)

Danger warning sounds are similar to a sharp, ringing bark. This is how a chinchilla can react to unfamiliar surroundings, loud sounds, even strong odors. Everything alarming and unusual causes a reaction to warn everyone about a possible threat.

Sometimes the perceived danger takes the animal by surprise. He instantly screams briefly, while simultaneously trying to escape. In this case, he no longer has the opportunity to give a long signal, so a short cry sounds like “habababapp”.

Sounds of pain

If the animal is in pain or fear, the owner will hear a loud, high-pitched cry.

Sounds of mating

These sounds begin with the calling signal of the male. After chasing the female, who demonstrates sounds of anger and discontent, the male complains tearfully and whines. After the process is completed, the male makes unusual hoarse short sounds for some time.

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Sounds of chinchillas

Usually it does not make any sounds; it is an extremely silent animal. She makes sounds only in case of anxiety, alarm (danger signals with which she warns other animals), fear, defense, or simply wants to attract attention to herself, loud ones - almost never.

There are several distinctive chinchilla sounds known. They can be divided into main and auxiliary. Depending on the situation, sounds can be louder or quieter, sharper or smoother. When studying the sounds chinchillas make, you need to take into account that each individual is an “individual” and the sound may differ slightly. Consider the existing sounds of chinchillas.

The sound of communication and calling.
Mating sound
Baby sounds.
The sound of protest and defense.
The sound of rage and anger.
Warning sound and alarms (chinchilla barking)
Sound when chewing and gnawing.

Communication sound
Inside, the uterine sound is similar to cooing or grunting. In chinchillas it is published quite often. Indicating your presence in the room. The chinchilla uses a calling sound to attract attention to something, this can be a demand for food or attracting the attention of the owner, the opposite individual or young animals.

Sounds of mating
When a female chinchilla comes into heat, the male begins to make short, smooth sounds indicating a call for mating. At the same time, the male clears the floor under him and attracts the female’s attention by wagging his tail. After mating, the male makes unusual sounds similar to wheezing or hiccups for a couple of minutes.

Baby sounds.
The sounds produced by young animals can be divided by sound. A sharp squeak means that the chinchilla is hungry and requires the mother's attention. The baby makes a contented rumble while eating, sucking milk. The female emits a gentle grunt at the time of feeding. Older young animals are quite talkative and make sounds more often than adults.

Sounds of protest and defense.
The most common sound a chinchilla makes is when there is some kind of irritation or constraint. Often, when disputes arise (for example, a dispute about food), the chinchilla makes an irritated, angry sound. On chinchilla farms, when a person appears, the chinchilla often makes an alarming sound of defense, perceiving the appearance of a person as a threat.

The sound of rage and anger.
There are two main reasons when a chinchilla makes sounds of rage and irritation.
When feeding the young, the cubs begin to argue for the best nipple, pushing each other away and starting an argument. At the same time, the female begins to get angry and makes a grinding sound, calling on the babies to calm down.

Also, angry sounds are often made by female chinchillas during estrus; the male, showing excessive activity, annoys the female and the nervous female makes it clear to the male that she is dissatisfied. In this case, the female can spray a stream of urine at the male by standing on her hind legs.
Warning sounds and alarms
A cry of warning.

When very frightened or when feeling pain, the chinchilla makes a sharp short sound, sometimes turning into a cascade of 10-15 repetitions. Often when transporting a chinchilla in transport, you can hear the sound of an alarm, which means the chinchilla is in a stressed state.
Chewing and gnawing sounds
Wood gnawing

Chewing a dry treat.

Chinchillas are silent creatures. In different situations, they produce sounds that differ in tone, at times reminiscent of human speech. Moreover, but the main reason is fear. These rodents are naturally fearful. Even a soft knock can make them scream.

Often, rodent owners wake up at night hearing the heart-rending cry of their pet. They are mistakenly mistaken for a symptom of illness or poor condition of the animal. But often chinchillas make sounds for more harmless reasons.

Perhaps, the most common reason for animal cries at night is boredom.

This is mainly done by lonely animals that lack human attention. The animal does the same, begging for a treat, despite the fact that it is night outside.

If you have several animals in one cage, then the basis for dissatisfaction may be the division of food or toys, as well as a convenient place. Less commonly, screams are caused by sounds, smells or pain.

Basic sounds

All calls made by the animal are divided into two groups: main and auxiliary. As a rule, they are quiet, so much so that some owners do not even pay attention to them. But sometimes, chinchillas make sharp, unpleasant sounds. Each animal not only has its own character, but also its voice is different from the rest..

The main sounds include:

communication;
boredom;
to attract attention;
mating sounds;
the cries of the cubs;
discontent;
aggression;
anxiety;
danger, fear;
curiosity.

Grunt

When chinchillas communicate with each other, they make cooing grunts.. As a rule, this is a quiet but frequent sound. In the same way, they attract each other's attention. Rarely does an animal cry out to its owner, demanding a treat from him. In this case, the grumbling is much louder.

Sounds accompanying mating

When mating season begins, only the male does the talking. He makes melodious sounds, calling for a female. After mating, the animal emits a hiccupping cry, mostly similar to a wheeze. This lasts several minutes. You shouldn’t attach much importance to this; the situation is normal during the breeding season.

Sounds of baby chinchillas

Small chinchillas make a wide variety of sounds. Squeaking often means your baby is scared. A sharp cry calls the mother to feed. Rumbling or purring means interest in something or pleasure.

The most sociable are children who have already been weaned from their mother. They make many different sounds. In this way, the younger generation learns to communicate with each other. At times this happens so loudly that it even scares inexperienced owners, as it happens most often at night.

Protest, request and dissatisfaction

An animal can squeak for several reasons. The first is a request. In this case, the baby makes a plaintive sound. Calling on a person to communicate, the animal may ask for a treat or want to complain about a neighbor, boredom, or inconvenience. In the same way, chinchillas demand to be taken for a walk.

If the squeak is sharp, then most likely the animal is dissatisfied or irritated with something.. It may also mean a reluctance to take any action. When you pick up your baby and hear a high-pitched squeak, it means he is unhappy about being disturbed.

Irritation and aggression

A bad mood is also accompanied by loud grumbling or a sharp squeak. Often this is addressed to the owner or cagemate. Another irritation is expressed in teeth grinding.

Anxiety and fear

When a chinchilla is afraid, it is capable of making loud, sharp cries, similar to the barking of a small dog. It is often expressed by a whole series of unpleasant sounds.

Most often, babies who were bought recently bark. A new place, smells and sounds frighten the animal. And the sight of a stranger makes you yelp and hide in the corner of the cage.

Interest

If you hear your baby grunting, you know that he has found something exciting for himself.. Often this sound is made while sniffing another individual or examining food, looking for tasty pieces.

Strange noises

Chinchillas are nocturnal inhabitants. Animals often scare their inexperienced owners with hissing or sounds similar to the quack of a duck. Not understanding the meaning of the screams emitted, breeders rush to consult a doctor.

Hissing and quacking

When an animal quacks, it may mean irritation and dissatisfaction with its owner.. And also expressing boredom. The chinchilla also hisses when he is irritated or dissatisfied with something. But he screams in his sleep from sharp sounds, unpleasant odors, or feeling anxiety or hunger.

What to do: provide comfortable and safe conditions

The animals are most active at night. They sleep most of the day. Individuals living in pairs or groups prefer to hug or climb on top of each other.

Even a soft knock can wake up the animal and put it into an excited state. If you choose a chinchilla as a pet, then you will have to adapt to its rhythm of life.. Since these rodents like to get ready for bed at a certain time, they will need to feed and clean the cage according to a schedule.

If the baby lives alone in a closet, then most likely he will choose the sleeping position - lying on his belly. Seeing a pet lounging on its side, you can be sure that the animal is accustomed to a person and completely trusts him.

Chinchillas are nocturnal creatures, spending most of the day sleeping. It is important to remember, no matter how long the animal sleeps, you cannot wake it up!

Video on the topic

If the owner of an animal wants to understand his pet, then you need to listen to him more often. This will help you figure out when the animal is scared and when it just wants to attract attention. Show care for your furry friend, and you will receive a lot of positive emotions in return.

In contact with

It is necessary to interpret their speech because chinchillas communicate with us and with each other using a very diverse repertoire of sounds.

In reality they only have a few basic sounds. However, because chinchillas make many variations in these sounds through melody and volume, they develop a clear and unambiguous language. If you listen carefully to their sounds, you can recognize expressions and emotions that are similar in meaning to human ones.

Speaking from an environmental perspective, the chinchilla is a pure prey animal. This circumstance is reflected in their sounds. In dangerous situations, they warn each other using characteristic barking sounds. They also use special sounds for fear and pain.

For 18 years (the age of my oldest shinsha), I carefully observed their behavior and their sounds, identifying several main groups of sounds of these animals:

Sounds of contact and communication.

Sounds of mating

Baby sounds.

Sounds of protest and defense.

Sounds of rage and anger.

Warning sounds and alarms (chinchilla barking)

Sounds when chewing and gnawing.

Comment: Some of the sounds described here are very rarely made by chinchillas and therefore are not very easy to record with a microphone. Due to this, some sound clips are still missing. In addition, it should be borne in mind that each chinchilla has its own individuality, which leaves its mark on the sounds it makes! Some shinshi are much more talkative, others less talkative. As a rule, a pair of chinchillas was used so that they made more sounds than a single chinchilla (and who would a chinchilla sitting alone talk to?).

Sounds of contact and communication.

Communication sounds.

Chinchilla pairs often communicate with each other through a soft sound indicating their contact, which sounds like something grunt This funny sound confirms them closeness. Chinchillas often use this sound if they are remaining calm or if they are in a favorable time period for reciprocation.

You can also hear this sound when the shinsh is sitting forlornly on a shelf, feeling lonely and longing for a friend to play with.

Calling sound.

Shinsh always uses a calling sound if he wants something or if he is looking for something. For example, he may ask for something to eat or would like to leave the cage. (As soon as I walk in front of the cage, my chinchillas always want to be let out immediately! :-))

My chinchillas have daily walks in the kitchen. During these walks, they always examine anything that can be chewed (such as wallpaper, boxes or cables). It often happens that one chinche sits quietly at one end of the kitchen and gnaws on something interesting, while the other one sits idle, feeling lonely, and wants to know where his companion is. Then the lonely shinsh reacts with a short and interested sound (In the background you can hear the lonely shinsh looking everywhere for his friend).

And here a shinsh named Kuddel is looking for his wife because he wants to kiss her and cuddle with her.

Sounds of mating

Sounds whencsteaming.

Whenever a female chinchilla goes into heat (estrous cycle), the male begins courting her with an unusual-sounding mating call. At the same time, the male cleans the floor under him and tries to attract the female’s attention by quickly and repeatedly wagging his tail (the so-called “tail whipping dance”).

Then, with great enthusiasm, the male begins to chase the female, trying again and again to cover her. Until the female feels ready to mate, she will defend herself from the male by grumbling and chattering her teeth (see Sounds of Rage and Anger).

In this case, sometimes the male looks offended and complains sadly.

In this case it sounds like a "siren" :-))

And here – and here – my old shinsh Kuddel squeaks tenderly (and a little desperately) for his wife, because he wants to be with her. But they cannot be together because she gave birth to two children and now needs rest. So I put her in a separate cage.

Sounds of the male after mating.

After successful mating with the female, the male makes unusual sounds for a couple of minutes. It sounds as if he is hiccupping or hoarse.

Then both shinshiki, sitting, sleep quietly on the shelf, cuddling up to each other. It looks very nice.

Sounds of cubs

Contact sounds in cubs

When a baby sniffs his mother (nose to nose), he always squeaks very loudly and in high tones. Thus, he wants to tell his mother that she is his own mother and should feed him. Then the chinchilla mother responds with a calm grunt and carefully licks the child’s ears.

The baby then examines the mother's belly and looks for the nipples. When he does this, the mother turns the child upside down and begins to wash him with her tongue. And while the mother grumbles quietly, the child sings cheerfully and happily in high tones.

Other baby sounds

Young shinshiki are much more talkative compared to adults. As long as they know that they are protected near their mother, they are always actively talking:

The baby is sleepy and happy

The same cub after waking up (still sleepy and angry)

Sounds of protest and defense

The sound "Stop it - it hurts me"

This sound is used quite often when a shinsh feels irritated or embarrassed by another. Shinshi begin to use this sound in childhood and it remains with them throughout their lives. The cry indicates that the chinchilla is harmless and defenseless (in the position of an injured poor little chinchilla).

The sound of protest

If one shinsha feels unfairly disadvantaged by another, he reacts with an angry, irritated voice - the sound of protest. For example, this can happen at a feeder where several chinchillas are fighting for food or if a male is annoying a female who is in a nervous state. This sound will mean something like "Get lost!" or "Leave me alone!"

If a shinsh becomes very irritated because he is too disadvantaged by another, he will make a strong sound of defense or sounds of rage and anger.

Sound of defense

The sound of defense is a very short and effective signal that sounds like “kack-kack” [Translated from German, and it should be noted that the author of the article is obviously German, the word “kack” means “defecate.” It is also curious that this German word can actually be heard very well in the sounds of the chinchilla. – Approx. translator]. This one is something like a rudely said "Get out!" or “Roll!”

A breastfeeding mother often uses this sound if she feels that her babies are occupying her nipples for too long or if they are biting her nipples.

On chinchilla farms, I have often encountered very shy chinchillas who will use that sound as soon as a person comes close to their cages. Obviously, this is the result of the chinchilla perceiving every person as a threat, since she felt in captivity and had no attachment to anyone.

Sounds of rage and anger

If a chinchilla mother has given birth to many children, say three or four, then fights over nipples between the cubs can be very violent. The likelihood of such conflicts is especially high if the mother does not have a lot of milk. Then hungry children fight among themselves. At this time, they stand on their hind legs, threatening each other with the gnashing of their teeth, and then try to knock down their opponent - a small fight occurs between them, which is usually quite harmless.

During such family quarrels, the chinchilla mother can become very angry. Then she makes a loud, rasping voice that sounds like an angry grumble. If this turns out to be insufficient, then she stands on her hind legs and, splashing urine on the children, disperses them from each other.

Shy and nervous chinchillas may also use this type of urine shooting, for example, if a person's hand gets too close to them.

Marriage Discord

Chinchillas are very energetic. They love to jump and chew a lot. Therefore, keeping them in cages, even more or less spacious ones, sometimes leads to squabbles between them. Especially if they don't have enough activities to do in the evening, shinsha sometimes get on each other's nerves. But in general, chinchillas are very peaceful animals and such squabbles between them are quite rare.

The following example shows a situation where a female is harassed by a male. When they were facing each other, the male provokes her with the sounds of his teeth and she responds with a loud and angry grunt.

You can hear the male's quiet voice in the background, especially in the second half of the sound bite.) Suddenly, the female responds with a high-pitched scream and splashes urine on the male's face.

Then the male jumps up, and a wild chase ensues.

Cry of warning

When you buy a new chinchilla, she may use this sound often because there may be a lot of unusual noise for her in a new place. However, as the chinchilla gets used to its new home over time and gradually becomes tame, you will hear this sound quite rarely.

Chinchillas have very sensitive hearing. For example, if a car door closes somewhere in the distance, we ourselves do not perceive this noise because we are accustomed to it. However, a chinchilla may be afraid of it because the noise is unusual for it.

Sometimes you can hear a chinchilla bark while sleeping. As a rule, she makes only a few croaking/raucous sounds. I'm sure chinchillas dream! I think that sometimes they have not only rosy dreams, but also nightmares.

Short alarm

There are times when a shinsh is shocked by a sudden noise and cannot warn of the danger with full force, since he himself is trying to run away as quickly as possible. Then he issues a warning about the danger in the form of a short signal that sounds like “Habababapp”. This sounds very funny.

24.03.2012 13:13

I have had chinchillas for 3 months now. And during this time I have already learned to recognize some sounds. And your article helped me dispel my doubts. Now it’s easier for me to understand my animals. Thank you very much for such hard work!!!