Social Deconstruction: Chinchillas: Ethology

It is widely believed by chinchilla owners that they can experience emotion and intelligence very strongly. If your pet chinchillas sees you or someone who it is familiar with, it is very common for it to stand up on it’s hind legs and greet you at the side of its enclosure. Likewise, if a chinchilla is feeling unhappy or scared, it has been reported that a chinchilla will “bark” or make a loud honking sound. Chinchillas are said to bond very strongly with humans that spend a lot of time with them and especially other chinchillas. They form what are referred to as “bonded pairs” which are usually a pair of two chinchillas that bond strongly to each other and become dependent on each other. It is not easy to get two chinchillas to bond because often times chinchillas are aggressive towards each other and territorial. It is said that a chinchilla must choose its own partner and cannot be forced with just any chinchilla because they have been known to fight, sometimes even to the death. When a chinchilla is with its cage-mate, they often show signs of excitement and happiness towards each other. When a chinchilla is feeling excited and playful, they can often be seen “popcorning” or arching the back and hopping all four legs straight off the ground. Another display of excitement is “wall surfing”. A lot of times when a chinchilla is let out for out of cage play time, it will display its excitement by pushing off of a wall or other vertical surface. Chinchillas have a range of sounds that have various meanings that are thought to indicate specific emotions. Some chinchillas even enjoy having their neck and behind the ear scratched and will close their eyes and tilt their head into the finger scratching them.

**I personally have two chinchillas which do all of these things all of the time.