Chinchilla

Classification:
Order Rodentia
Family Chinchillidae
Chinchilla lanigera

Conservation Status:
Endangered - USFWS
CITES Appendix 1
(wild populations only)

Description:
Adults are 9-15 inches long (not counting the tail).  Females are larger than males.  They are covered with very thick, silky fur.  The fur is usually gray, but it can come in a range of colors including bluish, pearl, and brownish-gray.  They have a furry tail that can reach 6 inches in length.  Their eyes and ears are very large, and they have small paws with weak claws.

Range:
Andes Mountains of northern Chile

Habitat:
Rocky mountain slopes at elevations from 10,000-16,500 feet

Diet:
In the wild, they eat plants such as grass and lichens.  In the zoo, our chinchillas eat rabbit pellets, apples, carrots, and kale or lettuce sprinkled with vitamins.

Life Cycle:
In the wild, they breed from May to November.  Two or three litters can be born in one season, and each litter can include up to six young (usually 2-3).  When the young are born, they are already completely covered with fur, and they have their eyes open and a full set of teeth.  They nurse for 6-8 weeks.  They are mature by the time they are 8 months old, and can live up to 10 years in the wild.  Captive chinchillas have lived up to 20 years.

Did You Know?

·        Chinchillas are crepuscular – that means that they are most active at dawn and dusk.  Their large eyes allow them to see in semi-darkness.

·        They live in burrows, and have whiskers to help them feel their way around.  They also have sensitive hairs around the edges of their ears, which work just like whiskers.

·        The chinchillas’ thick fur helps them to survive in their cold mountain habitats.  People appreciate chinchilla fur too, and in the 18th and 19th centuries, so many people wanted coats made out of the fur that the chinchillas were almost hunted to extinction.  Today it is illegal to kill or harm a wild chinchilla, but the species is still endangered.

·        Even though wild chinchillas are endangered, many domestic chinchillas are sold in pet stores.  About 100 years ago, 12 chinchillas were brought into captivity.  They bred quickly, and all of the domestic chinchillas that we have today are descendants of those 12 individuals.

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