in heat Smell?

[Easterpiggy]

I am chin sitting my friends chin and possibly adopting her ( my friend has 6 chins but apperently 1 too many) anyway I was playing with her today and I noticed she smelled a little funny. she smelled exactly like a female cat does when she's in heat. I was wondering do female chins have a smell when they go in heat?

 

[moon]

I've never noticed a smell when they are in heat. What you might be smelling is the "fear" musk they sometimes give off. Some are very apt to emit this smell if they are stressed in any way, while others seem to never give it off. That would be my guess. It smells like very mild skunk smell.

 

[Tanya]

There is some smell when girls are in heat , but it's not strong. Estrus urine attracts males to a female in estrus, odor stimulates sexual activity in males. My girl also raises her butt and goes backwards!

When chins are scared they can emit smell that is really strong. Sudden, loud or unfamiliar noise or movement can trigger it. I think chins in the wild communicate danger to each other through smell.I remember that once I took Lola out of the cage early in the morning(Chippy was in the cage), and then someone made a loud noise outside. She got scared and emitted the smell, in 3 seconds or so Chippy made very loud long cries. He was trying to tell do not hurt my girl!

During introduction, my girl was afraid of Chippy, and I felt the smell. Chippy started to chase her right after she did it.

And Chippy emitted the smell too when Lola was in heat( they were housed in different cages, he could not see her). I think he was trying to let her know he is near and ready, and maybe to let other chins know that this is his girl-stay away.

Chins have highly developed olfactory systems, they also have a Jacobson's organ in the roof of their mouth. It improves sense of smell.For the most part, their single most important exteroceptive sense is smell.

My boy Chippy is very territorial. Once I let Lola out of the cage first, for playtime. When it was Chippy's turn, he kept on smelling the floor pulling his lips back during smelling(his head was moving up and down).This facial expression(flehmen response) enhanced the sensitivity of the Jacobson's organ. Scent-marking is an important communication tool for them. Then he emitted an odor, maybe he was trying to mask Lola's scent.

So, I think there are several reasons why chins emit smell.
Interesting article:
http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/2150/mammals-emit-smell-signal-danger

 

[AZChins]

Some females are very musky when they go into heat. I have a couple that I can smell from across the room. The vast majority either have very little odor or none at all during their heat cycle. Every now and then someone will have a stronger odor than usual. I believe that females that are in with males tend to have the odor or it will be stronger. It has to be somewhat hormonal. When males are around they probably trigger more of the scent production.

There's also the smell that chins can make when they want to be left alone. They do have a gland that can put off an odor that smells sort of like a stinky burned almonds scent. Not all chinchillas will make that smell when they are scared, just a few. And, the smell is not that bad...I don't know what predator would actually be deterred by it!

 

[Easterpiggy]

oh I know all about "getting skunked" I used to have a chin that would just do it if he thought you were looking at him wrong. no it's not the skunk smell. I was holding her close and giving her kisses when I noticed it. When I was younger I had an un spayed female cat and when she was in heat she would emit the same smell.