New chin doing backflips?!?

So i just rescued a new chin last night. He was not in a proper environment, and when i brang him home, put him in his cage he looked as if he was trying to do backflips. He goes from one side of the cage reaches up really high(back arched) then runs to the other side and does the same. Is this normal? My other chin never does this.

I have a couple of backflip chins, both whites. Does this chin happen to be white? (Just a general observation that whites tend to be a bit, uhmmmm.....crazy (LOL))

It can be normal as long as the chin isn't going in circles or tipping over or showing any funky neurological signs.

Yes he is white! haha. well phew!! i am relieved. He seems healthy otherwise, he was fur chewing but in his defence he had a pretty boring life before.

my white is insane too. i don't know what the heck is up with that mutation haha

me too! I have 2 whites that do back flips, and they are funny

I've seen a number of youtube etc. videos of chins flipping over backwards. Most of them, iirc, have been mosaics. It's hilarious no matter what color they are though.

Someone on here has a mosaic who does handstands... the chin's name is Bentley, he's adorable. I think he belongs to Stackie?

Whites = crazy

xcdnchinx said:

So i just rescued a new chin last night. He was not in a proper environment, and when i brang him home, put him in his cage he looked as if he was trying to do backflips. He goes from one side of the cage reaches up really high(back arched) then runs to the other side and does the same. Is this normal? My other chin never does this.

Click to expand...

Is your chinchilla still performing these "dancing" behaviours?


I know that everyone thinks whites are crazy & that flipping, dancing, star gazing etc are "normal" for them but I have serious doubts about that - what they are often exhibiting is similar to that which is seen in animals at the zoo or other forms of captivity: it is called Abnormal Repetitive Behaviour.
One example is seen here in a mouse that is backflipping/somersaulting in it's cage: http://www.aps.uoguelph.ca/~gmason/StereotypicAnimalBehaviour/library/videos/Rodent%20videos/Af%20striped%20mouse%20abbreviated%20somersault%20(M%20Jones).MPG
Another is a mink which is "dancing":
http://www.aps.uoguelph.ca/~gmason/StereotypicAnimalBehaviour/library/videos/Carnivore(wild)%20videos/Mink%20twirling%20with%20pauses%20(M%20Diez).wmv

For those who want a scientific paper or two on such behaviours:
http://www.aps.uoguelph.ca/~gmason/StereotypicAnimalBehaviour/ (this is an excellent resource).
http://www.kaluefflab.com/pdfs/chapters/TransNeuroAdvAnimalResearchEthics(Hart&AVK).pdf
http://www.biology-online.org/kb/article.php?p=stuck_rut_repetitive_rituals
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Wjr9u1AAht4C&pg=PA139&lpg=PA139&dq=Abnormal+repetitive+behaviours+rodents&source=bl&ots=ORnYQeFyWu&sig=hVyptSO0TycBQkL4SAPSTjrGOAU&hl=en&ei=q2wWTbHZEYa4hAeOj_W3Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&sqi=2&ved=0CGwQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=Abnormal%20repetitive%20behaviours%20rodents&f=false

I have to say (& some will, no doubt disagree, which is fine) that I don't find repetitive behaviours funny or cute. I find them concerning.
IME they are habits which need to be broken & sometimes that can take considerable time, patience, & inventive thinking. Stress can also play a role in ARBs & so it is a fine balance between changing the environment & doing so in a way which does not increase the stress on the animal.

ARBs are not colour specific. Any colour or age of chin can exhibit ABRs - whites are no more prone to them than any other colour AFAIK. Some ABRs are relatively minor & are often displayed for attention - for example, cage bar biting or rattling can be classed as an ABR. If the chin does it only when you're in the room & they want attention then that's one thing but if they do it all the time then I consider that a behavioural problem which needs addressing. Again, some people will disagree with me.


For some chins simply removing an object (hammock, wheel, ledge etc) or placing something like a toy in the way of their repetitive path can solve the problem. Sometimes the entire cage needs refurnishing to accommodate the animal & alter their behaviour - each chin (since we're talking chins here) is different. Some chins who star gaze benefit from having their cage covered - it is sometimes a stress behaviour because they feel exposed.
Environmental enrichment, exercise & providing stimulation are often the keys to stopping ARBs - in a similar way to stopping a chin from being bored & chewing it's fur.


Now I'll apologise if my post hits a nerve with anyone but I do think repetitive behaviour is abnormal & should be addressed, not simply treated as cute or funny - others may disagree but I cannot watch a thread like this without commenting - it is clear that the OP has a stressed chin which needs help & once the chin settles things may well calm down & the behaviour revert to normal.
In the meantime, providing lost of toys to play with, covering the cage so that the chin feels safe, being calm, gentle & quiet in all interactions, & also providing a box to hide in should all help settle the chin.

I agree with the above post 110%.

wow white huh.... my pink white way back when used to do backflips. We actually could get him to do it on command too. He of course was my moms favorite.

edit: just read the above post and i don't know, this could be the case for many captive animals yes, but to say that repetitive behavior applies to all of these situations seems too generalizing. Every chin has a unique personality and while these behaviors could exhibit stress, how do you explain it when it happens in a not particularly stressful environment. My kids were definitely never bored or seemed stressed in any fashion. His breeder told me he did backflips ( this being even at a few months old) and he continued to do them throughout his life.... it wasn't something he would do continuously on end manically but it was def one of his traits.

Let me just say at the outset: I am most definitely not against keeping animals in captivity - since I keep & love my chinchillas dearly I'd be more than a bit of a hypocrite if I did, wouldn't I?

angels41105 said:

edit: just read the above post and i don't know, this could be the case for many captive animals yes, but to say that repetitive behavior applies to all of these situations seems too generalizing. Every chin has a unique personality and while these behaviors could exhibit stress, how do you explain it when it happens in a not particularly stressful environment. My kids were definitely never bored or seemed stressed in any fashion. His breeder told me he did backflips ( this being even at a few months old) and he continued to do them throughout his life.... it wasn't something he would do continuously on end manically but it was def one of his traits.

Click to expand...

Hmmm.... I'm curious, did you read any of the articles I linked or watch the videos?
Yes, my post is generalising but I'll draw your attention to the fact that people will also generalise about how crazy whites are, how diva-esque black velvets are, how laid back some ebonies are ............ there are exceptions to every rule & we talk in/of stereotypes all the time.

Chins don't have to be stressed to perform ARBs - I know of some very spoiled chins who live the life O'Reilly & still display repetitive behaviours.



The fact remains that some behaviours are abnormal & should be addressed rather than labelled as normal or cute. They are not - captive animals will always display adaptive behaviour (that, after all is the nature of captivity: it is not "natural" for the animal, no matter how hard we try to make it so) & some of it is considered positive, some of it is not. The key is differentiating between "good/bad" (for want of better words just now) & changing the "bad" & encouraging the "good".
The fact that we take some of the adaptive behaviours & mould them into "training" does not change the fundamental fact that they are adaptive behaviours or that we adapt their behaviour to (ostensively) meet our needs .........
One example of that is dog agility - dogs love to play & also to be stimulated physically & mentally - agility training meets both these needs & is an adaption of the "natural" behaviour of a dog. :thumbsup:


Surely our role as owners is to identify & understand the behaviours we see in the animals we choose to keep & to develop strategies to enhance their environment so that they can display as normal a behaviour pattern as possible? One of the dangers we see again & again on the forums is when someone projects human emotions & behaviours onto their chins - being able to do that with humour is one thing but then we should step back & see behaviour for what it actually is.


Not everyone will agree but, to me, any kind of repetitive behaviour needs careful attention & consideration - some people will decide not to do anything & will, in fact, reward that behaviour, ingraining it deeper into the animal - in many cases it is probably not considered detrimental to the animal or the owner. For example, a chin which rattles the bars of the cage for attention & who then gets let out will continue to do so because it is rewarded - nothing wrong in that, is there? But, in terms of behaviour, essentially it is still considered an ARB. There are degrees of everything.
An example from another species - a dog which exhibits separation anxiety - a dog which howls & barks when left will continue to do so if that behaviour is rewarded by the humans coming back because they howl/bark ..........

Animal behaviour is fascinating & complex - consider the discussions/debates/arguments/venting which happens whenever a captive animal attacks or kills a human - what a minefield that is!
Personally I love watching animal behaviour & trying to understand what is happening on their level.