Choosing A Male Or Female Chinchilla?
Posted by Jennifer Snyder on Tue, Feb 12, 2008 @ 10:26 AM
When choosing a chinchilla the first
question people usually ask is whether to choose a male or female chinchilla.
Though chinchillas, like dogs or cats, have their own personalities there are
differences between the sexes.
Other than the obvious reproductive differences, the main difference is the way
they will defend themselves. Both male and female chinchillas will try to run
away and bark if they don’t want to be held. If they are feeling particularly
agitated they may give you a warming nip...but around this point the females,
when feeling especially threatened, will stand on their back legs and spray you
with urine. Also BEWARE they have annoyingly good aim from as far back as 6-8
feet. This nasty little habit is also used to separate fighting offspring in
extreme battle royal situations.
When this first happened to me I was pretty angry, but it doesn’t help to yell
at or scold your chinchilla. They are not like dogs, and will not learn from
their mistake, but will likely become even more frightened by you if you
display aggressive behavior. Also at this point if the running away, barking,
nipping, and finally spraying (if you have a female chinchilla) were not
enough for you to back off, beware that biting is the LAST resort for both
sexes of chinchilla. Not the nibbling kind of taste whether you are a raisin
treat, but the painful blood drawing kind of bite that will likely leave you
with a nasty wound. But, not to worry, this rarely happens. The only time it has
ever happened to me was at a pet store with a very unhappy female chin that was
never tamed.
Chinchillas also have different prices
depending on their sex, color and where you buy them. The price of a standard grey male chinchilla
from a breeder ranges from around $65-$90. The same
chinchilla from a pet store would likely be $90-$125. Female chinchillas tend
to be a bit more pricey and difficult to get a hold of. Many breeders will hold on to their females and sell the males. From a breeder a standard female
chinchilla ranges from $80-$150 and from a pet store they will
likely range between $100-$175.
Whether you are buying a male or
female chinchilla remeber that every chinchilla is different. Some are hyper, some are laid
back, some are more cautious, some are more aggressive or territorial. It is
important to learn and recognize the type of personality your chinchilla has
and respect that in establishing a relationship.
We
currently own a total of 7 chinchillas, 4 female and 3 male. Our boys tend to
be a little less skittish than the girls, but there are always exceptions to the rule.