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Chinchilla Lanigera
10-12 Years
Chinchillas are small, fluffy animals with the softest fur in the world! They come from the mountains of South America and love to jump and play. Chinchillas have big ears, bushy tails, and take dust baths to stay clean. They are shy but curious and make adorable, quiet little pets!
First appearing around 41 million years ago, they were some of the first rodents to infest South America and remain native to the Andes mountains, in Peru and Chile, sleeping in tiny holes in the sides of mountains.
Often referred to as fur their thick coat is actually hair. As humans we have 2-3 hairs per hair follicle but Chinchillas have 50-80!
They are very social creatures living in colonies that consist of hundreds of Chinchillas, communicating with each other by grunting, chirping, squealing and barking sounds.
Living approximately 9,800 – 16,000 feet (3000-5000m) above sea level their thick coats are very necessary as temperatures can be as cold as minus 5 degrees C (23 degrees F)
Although they have large eyes they cannot see very well and use their long whiskers to help feel things around them
To stay clean they give themselves regular dust baths, in volcanic ash
They are very light sleepers and startle at the slightest noise, usually sleeping with their eyes open
Their predators are snakes, mountain lions and birds of prey. If they feel threatened or are being attached they will shed a large amount of hair which is called ‘hair slip’
As omnivores they eat both plants and meat, mostly grass and seeds but also insects and bird eggs if they get the chance. In captivity they can eat food pellets, from a pet store, and also enjoy a variety of other foods including small amounts of hay, dried fruits, nuts, carrots and green vegetables, which must be cut into very small bite size pieces.
Being nocturnal they can sleep up to 12 hours during the day and hunt for their food at dawn or dusk. As their teeth grow continually during their lives, it is important they eat the correct foods to keep them at the right length and size to avoid any dental problems.
Chinchillas eat their own poo!!
because they have sensitive stomachs they need to digest their food twice, this is called ‘coprophagy’ and necessary for them to get important nutrients.
A Chinchilla is sexually mature at 8 months and will have babies twice a year. She will be pregnant for 110-11 days and have between 1 and 6 kits (babies) each time. Weighing only 35 grams (1.2 ounces) they are born with their eyes open and covered in hair. They are immediately active and can run around and play from birth.
Chinchillas make excellent mothers supplying milk, warmth and protection to their kits, easily becoming aggressive if she feels they are being threatened.
Within 1 week the kits will be introduced to solid food but will remain dependent on their mother’s milk until they are 8 weeks old.
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