Chinchillas are rodents native to the Andes Mountains of northern Chile. Often kept as pets, they are also prized for their luxuriously soft fur, having been nearly driven to extinction due to demand.

Chinchilla fur was originally mottled yellow-gray in the wild, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual. However, with selective breeding, other colors have become common, including silver, yellow-gray, blue-gray, white, tan, and black. Each hair ends in a black tip, regardless of the animal's color.

Appearing about 41 million years ago, the chinchilla's ancestors were among the first rodents to infest South America. Chinchilla fur became popular in the 1700s, and the animals were hunted nearly to extinction by 1900. Around this time, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru banned the hunting of wild chinchillas.

However, according to the website "Chinchilla Chronicles," an American mining engineer named Mathias F. Chapman obtained special permission from the Chilean government to bring chinchillas to the United States in 1923. Today, almost all of those in that country are direct descendants of the 11 chinchillas Chapman brought there.

Physical characteristics

Chinchillas are related to guinea pigs and porcupines. With short front legs and long, muscular hind legs, they resemble rabbits, but their ears are much shorter and rounded. They have large, dark eyes and a bushy tail. They have four toes on each foot, and the thin claws on each toe are surrounded by stiff hairs.

Chinchillas typically range from 9 to 15 in (23 to 38 cm) in length, but the tail can add 3 to 6 in (8 to 15 cm) to their length. They typically weigh 1.1 to 1.8 lb (0.5 to 0.8 kg).

Food

Chinchillas are omnivores; they eat both plants and meat. They mainly eat grass and seeds, but also insects and bird eggs when they have the opportunity. To eat, they hold their food in their front paws and nibble on it.

Habitat

Chinchillas are covered in thick fur for a reason. In the Andes, they can live between 10,000 and 16,000 feet (3,000 and 5,000 meters). At these heights, it can get very cold; -23 °F (-5 °C) is the average minimum temperature in some places. These small rodents can tolerate freezing temperatures, but they cannot survive temperatures above 80 °F (27 °C); high temperatures and humidity can cause them to get heatstroke.

Chinchillas are crepuscular and nocturnal, meaning they are most active at dawn or dusk and sleep during the day. They make their homes by burrowing in underground tunnels or nesting in rock crevices. They are very social and live in colonies that consist of hundreds of individuals.

Females tend to be aggressive toward other females. When ready to mate, they can also be aggressive toward males and can be the dominant sex. Females are mostly monogamous, having only one mate throughout their lives. Males, on the other hand, can have many females. This is especially true for domestic males. Often, a male is bred with many females to create abundant offspring and then sell them.

Chinchilla as a pet

It is recommended that pet chinchillas be kept in a wire cage with a solid floor. The cage should be well ventilated and kept dry and cool between 60 and 70 °F (16 and 21 °C). Chinchillas do not do well in cages and should be kept in individual cages.

Chinchillas can eat pellets available at pet stores as well as hay, dried fruits and nuts, carrots, and green vegetables in moderation, about 10% of their daily diet. A bottle with a suction tube is the best way to provide water.

To stay clean, these rodents give themselves dust baths. It is recommended that domestic chinchillas take dust baths once or twice a week in fine volcanic ash, which can be found in pet stores.

Chinchillas are thought to be more intelligent than rabbits and can be taught to play with humans. However, they do not make good pets for small children, because they are hyperactive and very nervous.