Chinchilla laniger CHINCHILLA Class: Mammalia. Order: Rodentia. Family: Chinchilidae.

Common Name: Chinchilla

Habitat and Range: Wild chinchillas are found in the high Andes in Peru and Chile, living within rocky crevices and caverns. Chinchillas are raised in many parts of the world for their fur and as pets.

Description: A small mammal having luxuriously thick, blue-gray fur or brownish-gray fur with light blackish tinted markings. It has large, rounded ears, big eyes, a bushy tail and long whiskers. The front paws have only four well-developed digits; the fifth toe is vestigial. The hind legs are longer than the forelimbs with three large toes and one tiny one. It is quite agile and capable of leaping both horizontally and vertically.

Adult Size: Weight is reported to range from18 to 35 oz. The head and body is 9-15”, averaging 12”; the tail averages 3-6”. Females (called does) are larger and heavier than males (bucks).

Diet in the Wild: Bark, grasses, herbs.

Reproduction: Avg. gestation is 111 days; typical litter is two with as many as four to five offspring possible. Born fully furred; eyes open.

Life Span: Up to 15-20 yrs. in captivity; avg. 8-10.

Perils: The chinchilla’s primary predator is man. However, in the wild, chinchillas are a primary food source for many birds of prey.

Protection: If threatened, wild and domesticated chinchillas depend upon their running and jumping abilities as well as their climbing skill. If provoked, they are capable of inflicting a sharp bite. They also use their coloration to look like a granite rock and freeze when sensing danger.

Interesting Facts: Long ago, South American Indians hunted the chinchilla in order to use its fur for blankets and for clothing. Some tribes reportedly ate the flesh of the chinchilla. However, their hunting methods did not threaten the population. At the time of the Spanish conquest of South America, the chinchilla was so plentiful that one author from that period wrote that the tiny little mammal was so unafraid that colonies of them would run around and between the legs of their horses and that a traveler might see as many as 1,000 animals or more in a day’s time.

The chinchilla’s fur is unusually thick, soft and fine. It was more hairs per square centimeter than any other animal. As a consequence, they once were hunted and trapped for the European and

10/10 North American fur trade, especially so around the turn of the century. In 1930 a chinchilla fur sold for $200. By that time the wild chinchilla had all but become extinct.

Juan Ignazio Molina, a Jesuit priest who gave the animal its scientific name in 1782, was one of the first individuals to suggest that chinchillas could be bred in captivity in order to obtain their fur. Nearly two centuries later, M.F. Chapman, an American mining engineer, over a period of three years was able to capture 17 wild chinchillas. Eleven of these were brought to the United States in 1923. Today most of the chinchillas that are bred commercially in the United States and Canada are descended from these eleven animals. Anywhere from 100 to 150 furs are required to make a short coat.

Chinchillas, which are basically monogamous, reproduce very slowly. They are very sensitive to high humidity and heat. The ideal temperature range is 40-75 degrees F. Chinchillas are especially fond of dust baths, which should be offered once or twice a week. Fuller’s earth or very fine powdered clay or sand may be used. In the wild, chinchillas bathe in volcanic ash found in the Andes. The dust bath removes excess natural oils and moisture and helps to clean their thick coats.

Natural sounds: crying, barking, chattering, chirping and a crackling vocalization if angry.

Color: Wild: blue/gray. Domestic: beige, silver, cream and white. Other colors are being developed.

Ecology: In the wild, chinchillas probably are benign to man and a valuable food source for other wildlife. They are raised commercially for the fur and pet trade. Attempts have been made to restock the Andes Mountains with chinchillas that have been bred on fur farms. The result of these efforts is unknown. Poaching may still be a problem since the coats of wild chinchillas are superior to those of animals that are bred commercially.

Diet at the Zoo: Chinchilla food, alfalfa.

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