Chinchillas have a wide range of sounds they make to communicate with other chinchillas, animals and humans. Though much of the time chinchillas are quiet, there are many sounds that they make to convey different feelings. The sounds they make range from high pitch squeaks, to a gentle purring sound. You will be most likely to hear these noises in the twilight hours when your chinchilla is most active. Below are some explanations of common chinchilla sounds and there interpreted meaning.

Contact Call

This is one of the most common sounds you will hear your chinchilla make. This sounds seems to say "hey anyone out there." It is a soft ongoing series of grunts or throaty sounds that seem to be a chinchilla's way of asking if you are in the room, or asking another chinchilla to give it some attention.

Alarm Call

The alarm call is a call used by chinchillas in the wild to alert the herd of predators or danger. I have heard this sound used when there was a cat next to my chinchilla's cage and they were feeling threatened. The alarm call can be a series of loud cries, or a loud short burst, but it will be pretty clear that something is upsetting your chinchilla and you should probably check it out.

Pain and Fear

A very loud shrill squeak is a chinchilla's typical response to pain and sometimes sudden fear. If your chinchilla is injured or roughly grasped this is likely the sound you will hear. This should be a rare sound to hear from a chinchilla and never a pleasant one.

Warning Clicks

Teeth chattering is the way a chinchilla will warn humans and other chinchillas to back off! It is a series of clicks that will typically be matched with the chinchilla trying to hide itself, back away or flee.

Aggressive Grunt

A chinchilla will grunt when it isn't thrilled with something going on. Some chinchillas will make this grunting sound when you try to pick them up, or when another chinchilla tries to snatch something from their hands. It has been our experience that this sound is more annoyance than a chinchilla being very upset. If teeth chattering starts, that is the best sign to leave your chinchilla alone.

There are a variety of other sounds that chinchillas make including very cute baby chinchilla sounds that tend to be higer pitch squeaks, unique mating sounds and soft cooing sounds when they are being affectionate. http://www.chinchilla-sounds.de/index_en.htm is a great site to hear the sounds described above.