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Chinchillas and their relatives viscachas are small, nocturnal mammals
native to the Andes mountains in South America and belonging to the family
Chinchillidae.
Chinchilla fur is considered the softest in the world and is 30 times softer than human
hair. Chinchillas must regularly bathe in dust or volcanic ash to remove oil and moisture that gathers in their thick fur. In
fact, they have the highest fur density of any animal on earth with more than 20,000 hairs per square cm. Their fur is so dense
that skin parasites (such as fleas) cannot live on one lest they suffocate. Where humans
have one hair from each follicle, a chinchilla has more than 50 hairs from a single follicle.
The international trade in chinchilla fur goes back to the 1500s. By the end of the 19th century, chinchillas had become quite rare. In 1923, Mathias F. Chapman brought the
11 wild chinchillas he had captured to the U.S. for breeding. Only three of these were female. Since the mid-1960s, chinchillas have become increasingly popular as
house pets. This peculiar rodent is also studied by linguists due to its audio range of
perception. It is considered the closest to that of a human's.
Chinchillas in their native habitat live in burrows or crevices in rocks. They are agile jumpers and can jump up to five feet
above their head. Predators in the wild include hawks, skunks, felines, and canines. Their diet consists of plants, fruits,
seeds, and small insects.
In nature chinchillas are light gray, while other colours have been developed in captivity: for example white, mosaic (white
with gray or black patches), beige (very light gray), violet, and charcoal (black). The gene for white is dominant, but lethal in
the absence of a recessive gene of another colour. Red eyes are not only a sign of albinism but associated with beige color.
In nature, chinchillas are monogamous and live in pairs. Unusually for mammals, chinchilla females are significantly bigger
than males. Chinchillas can breed any time of the year. For a rodent they have a very long gestation period of 111 days. Due to
this long pregnancy chinchillas are born fully furred and open their eyes soon after birth. Litters range from 1 - 8 babies,
although the average litter size is 2. In the case of miscarriage, the foetus is frequently absorbed into the body of the mother,
resulting in further sterility.
Chinchillas as Pets
Chinchillas are unique and charming pets. In captivity they live up to 20 years, but they usually do not live for more than 10
years in countries with a climate that they are not adapted to.
Chinchillas require regular dust baths. Specially processed sand made from pumice
avoids the problems of fine dust. The fur of a chinchilla should never be allowed to get wet.
Chinchillas should be kept in a large cage, about 24" x 24" x 18" per animal. If there is any possibility of a pregnancy, a
sufficiently fine mesh should be used as small chinchillas are good climbers and can easily squeeze through small holes.
Chinchillas enjoy ledges, boxes, sticks, and other perches, as well as exercise wheels, which however must be chosen with
safety in mind. In particular, exercise wheels should be large enough, and if mesh is used, the mesh must be sufficiently fine to
prevent limbs or digits from being caught.
Animals of the same sex live peacefully together in a single cage with sufficient space, and a male can usually be kept with
one or more females. Male chinchillas will fight each other for a mate and therefore no more than one male should be kept with a
female. If living space is too small, chinchillas will become extremely territorial.
Chinchillas have special dietary requirements, so it is usually easiest to feed them specially formulated chinchilla food.
Rabbit food does not meet the nutritional needs of chinchillas and frequently
makes them fat. It is preferable that they have a water bottle, as water in a dish or bowl will be quickly soiled.
Cedar bedding is toxic to chinchillas and should not be used. Pine shavings are acceptable. The bedding, food, and water,
should be changed at least once a week and preferably every day.
A chinchilla can become unhealthy if it does not get exercise. An exercise time in a special "chinchilla-proofed" room is
optimal, as a wheel or similar exercise device in the cage is not enough. They enjoy leaping from furniture and running around.
They must be watched at all times, as they can escape from even a well-prepared room. If provided with nothing else, they will
chew on wood, wire (electrical or otherwise), and anything else they can find. To prevent this, items such as paper towel tubes
or wooden chew toys should be provided both during the exercise time and in the cage.
Some chinchillas are prone to cuts and scratches, especially on the nose. It is important that this be dealt with quickly to
avoid infection. A first-aid topical antibiotic ointment is generally the best option, though if the problem area is on the nose
it is crucial that it does not block the nostrils.
Types of Chinchillas
- ORDER RODENTIA
- Superfamily Caviomorpha
- Family Chinchillidae
- Chinchilla, Chinchilla lanigera
- Short-tailed
Chinchilla, Chinchilla brevicaudata
- Northern Viscacha,
Lagidum peruanum
- Southern Viscacha,
Lagidum viscacia
- Wolffsohn's
Viscacha, Lagidum wolffsohni
- Plains Viscacha,
Lagostomus maximus
- Family Octodontidae: octodonts
- Family Echimyidae: spiny rats,
including nutrias
- Family Capromyidae: hutias
- Family Agoutidae: agoutis
- Family Dinomyidae: pacaranas
- Family Caviidae: cavies, including guinea pigs
- Family Hydrochoeridae: Capybara
- Family Abrocomidae: chinchilla
rats
- (8 other superfamilies in Rodentia, not listed here)
There is also a type of cat coloring and several breeds of rabbit called Chinchilla, which are not related to the Chinchillidae family.
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