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Peruvian chinchilla. Chinchillas - origin story. natural habitat

The chinchilla is a rodent that inhabits the territory of South America. Chinchillas are known for their valuable fur, because of which their numbers have rapidly decreased and these animals have been listed in the Red Book. Today, the chinchilla animal is a very popular pet. Below you will find a description of the chinchilla, and you can also learn about the features of the care and maintenance of the chinchilla at home.

Chinchilla looks very cute and funny. The chinchilla animal has a large head, a short neck and a round body. She has big ears, long whiskers and a short tail. Chinchilla looks like a small rodent. Chinchillas measure between 25 and 35 cm in length, with females being larger than males. The rodent weighs 500-700 grams.


Chinchilla looks fluffy, as if made of plush. She has soft, thick and beautiful fur. The chinchilla looks inconspicuous due to its gray-blue color and only on the abdomen its fur has a light gray tint. Modern colors of captive-bred chinchillas are diverse and have many variations.


The description of the chinchilla includes many unusual facts about these rodents. For example, their auricles have special membranes with which the animals close their ears during sand baths so that sand does not get inside. Chinchilla fur is very dense, because up to 80 hairs grow from each hair follicle.


Thanks to the developed cerebellum, the chinchilla animal has good coordination and is adapted to nightlife. The hind legs of the animal are longer than the front ones, which allows it to jump to a height of up to 2 meters. Chinchillas make many interesting sounds, they can quack, chirp, growl, squeak and snap their teeth.

Where and how long do chinchillas live?

Chinchillas live for about 20 years. These animals are native to South America. Under natural conditions, the chinchilla lives in the Andes of southern Bolivia, northwestern Argentina and northern Chile. Chinchillas live in the mountains at an altitude of up to 5 km above sea level. In its natural environment, the chinchilla animal lives in the crevices of rocks, under stones or digs holes.


The chinchilla animal is perfectly adapted to life in the mountains. The structure of the skeleton allows the animal to crawl through even the narrowest spaces, and the developed cerebellum ensures confident movement on the rocks. Chinchillas live in colonies and are active at night. In nature, chinchillas feed on various herbaceous plants (cereals, beans, mosses, lichens, shrubs, cacti, tree bark) and insects.


The chinchilla animal is basically monogamous. Chinchillas become capable of reproduction at the age of 7-8 months. The duration of pregnancy is a little over 3 months. Usually 2-3 babies are born. The female is able to bring offspring up to three times a year. Chinchilla cubs are born with open eyes, erupted teeth and covered with primary hair.


It's no secret that the chinchilla animal is a source of valuable fur. Chinchillas have been harvested for their beautiful fur since the 19th century. It takes about a hundred skins to sew one fur coat, so chinchilla fur products are rare and expensive. In 1928, a fur coat made from the fur of these rodents cost half a million gold marks. In 1992, the price of a chinchilla coat was $22,000. Currently, in South America, the chinchilla animal is under protection. Now in many countries there are special farms where chinchillas are bred for fur.

It is better to start a chinchilla when the animal is no more than 2-3 months old. At this age, the animal is quickly accustomed to a new environment than older individuals. If you decide to get a chinchilla, remember that this is a nocturnal animal that will be active in the evening hours and at night. For the first time after the appearance of the animal in the house, give him a few days of rest so that he gets used to the new house.


It is not easy to tame a chinchilla. For the most part, the chinchilla does not really need attention and communication with the owner. Therefore, taming a chinchilla to your hands should be gradual. Try to treat your pet, open the cage door and give the chinchilla something tasty. The pet will definitely take a treat from his hands, if not immediately, then after a while. The main thing is not to try to forcibly take the animal in your arms.


To tame a chinchilla will require patience, calmness and respect. Soon the tamed animal will be safely in your arms or sit on your shoulder. Remember that by nature, the chinchilla is a gentle, shy creature and does not like loud noises. Be gentle with your chinchilla and don't scare it.

Chinchillas are vegetarians, so when choosing food, this feature of the animal should be taken into account. Chinchillas need to be fed special food. Pet stores have a huge range of granulated food. This food contains essential vitamins and minerals.


In addition to food, be sure to feed the chinchilla with hay. You can prepare it yourself, for this you need to collect clover, dandelions and herbs. But you can buy hay at the pet store. When buying, pay attention to the quality of hay, it must be dry, clean, without an unpleasant smell and mold. A special hay feeder should be placed in the cage.


Chinchilla should be fed once a day. Food and water should always be fresh. Water should be given filtered or boiled. The cage should always have a special stone for grinding teeth, which can be purchased at any pet store.

Granulated dry food and hay are the best diet for chinchillas. As a top dressing, chinchillas can be given flax seeds, corn grains, dandelion leaves, birch, willow, raspberry, apple, currant and linden twigs. But in no case do not give branches of cherry, oak and coniferous trees. Do not feed your chinchilla many fresh vegetables and fruits, as this can lead to stomach problems.


Especially chinchillas love raisins, dried apricots, dried apples, pears, cherries and rose hips. But such treats should not be given often. Also be careful with nuts and seeds, they should be given in very limited quantities and only in raw form, fried grains are contraindicated for the animal. You should not give your chinchilla food from your own table (bread, biscuits, etc.).

Care and maintenance of a chinchilla at home

Keeping a chinchilla at home is no less popular than keeping a guinea pig. First of all, a spacious cage is required to keep a chinchilla. It is better if the cell is of a tower type. The best solution in this case would be a showcase for a chinchilla, which will be an excellent home for the animal and will fit well into the home interior. A showcase for a chinchilla will satisfy all the needs of a rodent, it has a house, ladders, floors, balconies, a running wheel and other toys. In addition, cleaning in such a showcase is even easier than in a cage.


The maintenance of a chinchilla provides for maintaining a certain temperature. The chinchilla animal does not tolerate heat well, so the cage should be placed in a cool place, without direct sunlight and drafts. The optimum temperature for keeping a chinchilla will be + 20-22 ° C. At a temperature of +25 ° C and above, the rodent will overheat. Never place the cage next to batteries.

The bottom of the cage must be lined with sawdust or a special filler. The animal goes to the toilet anywhere and it is very difficult to teach a chinchilla to do it in one place. The bedding will need to be changed at least once a week. It is better to hang the feeder and drinker, otherwise the chinchilla can turn them into a toilet.


Caring for a chinchilla at home includes taking care of the rodent's coat. Chinchilla fur gets dirty very quickly, so the animal needs frequent hygiene procedures. But the chinchilla bathes not in water, but in special sand. Chinchillas take sand baths with diligence and the sand will fly in all directions. Therefore, it is advisable to carry out this procedure outside the cage, so as not to collect sand later. The best option in this case would be a round aquarium or any other deep, stable round container. Put it on the floor, lay a newspaper under it, pour a 5-6 cm layer of sand on the bottom and run the animal there for 20-30 minutes.


Chinchilla care at home involves bathing at least 2 times a week. If your house has high humidity and temperature close to +25 °C, bathing should be done 3 times a week. Bathing is a must if you want your chinchilla to have beautiful fur. Do not forget that bathing in water for a chinchilla is detrimental and will cause health problems.

In general, the care and maintenance of a chinchilla at home does not require much effort. The main condition is to protect the animal from overheating and observe the correct diet. Try not to leave the animal unattended outside the cage. Remember that rodents love to try everything on the tooth and damaged furniture will be provided to you. The main danger is fraught with electrical wires. Also, do not forget that any hard-to-reach space in the apartment will immediately be explored by a curious animal.


Chinchilla, the maintenance and care of which is quite simple, has a number of advantages and one disadvantage. The advantages include the small cost of the animal, beautiful appearance, lack of smell and molting, peaceful character. But the downside is the nocturnal lifestyle. If you have already decided to acquire such an animal, you will have to get used to rustling, squeaking and fuss at night.

Diseases of chinchillas


If you have the slightest suspicion of a chinchilla's health problems, you should contact your veterinarian. Delaying a visit to the doctor is highly undesirable, because the sooner the problem is identified, the more chances to cure your pet.

Take care of your pets, take care of them and don't forget that we are responsible for those we have tamed. If you liked this article, subscribe to site updates to be the first to receive the most interesting and useful articles about animals.

Recently, breeding chinchillas at home has become popular. Many parents find that a cute fat butt chinchilla will be a good friend for their child. Most often, children are really delighted with these exotic animals. Before you get a fluffy pet, it would be nice to know how chinchillas live in nature, how chinchillas sleep, what indicators their sizes reach, how the animal looks, how many teeth rodents have. All this information, as well as the characteristics of the species, its description and interesting facts about chinchillas are contained in this article.

Classification

There are several erroneous beliefs in the question: what species does a chinchilla belong to. Many people think that a chinchilla is a squirrel, a rabbit or a rat. In fact, it is an animal related to:

  • kingdom - Animals;
  • type - Chordates;
  • class - Mammals;
  • infraclass - Placental;
  • detachment - Rodents;
  • suborder - Porcupines;
  • superfamily - Chinchilla-like;
  • family - Chinchilla;
  • genus - Chinchilla.

The chinchilla genus is divided into 2 types:

  1. Chinchilla lanigera - small long-tailed or coastal;
  2. Chinchilla Brevicaudata - short-tailed or large.

There are mutational species that differ in the color of the hairline.

habitats

The homeland of the animals is South America. Long-tailed individuals are widespread in the mountains of Chile. Short-tailed - live in the Andes and northwest Argentina.

The habitat of rodents is rocky areas, preferably the northern slopes. You can meet a rodent at an altitude of up to 5,000 m. As a dwelling, animals choose narrow cracks and openings between stones, they can dig a hole.

External signs

  • Chinchilla body length - 22-38 cm. Tail - from 9 to 17 cm. Whiskers (vibrissae) - 8-12 cm.
  • The weight of an adult does not reach 1 kg. - an average of 0.5 kg, more than 0.8 kg. they won't grow. The weight of the female is usually greater than the weight of the male.
  • Rounded head and short thick neck.
  • The eyes are round black, the pupils are vertical.
  • The length of the rounded ears is up to 6 cm. The ears have special membranes to protect the ears during sand baths.
  • The fur on the whole body is thick, the hairs on the tail are stiff.
  • The color of the fur is most often gray, but there are other varieties (black, white, beige, brown, pink, purple and others). The belly is white.

animal skeleton

The structure of the body of chinchillas provides them with reliable shelter and makes it possible to survive in the conditions of the rocky mountains. The skeleton of a chinchilla narrows if necessary. The need may arise when the animal hides in narrow crevices from predators and bad weather. There are 5 fingers on the front paws of rodents, and 4 on the hind legs. The hind limbs are longer and stronger than the front ones, which allows the animals to jump high.

Rodents have a set of 20 strong teeth that grow throughout their lives. Newborn babies have developed dental systems: there are 12 teeth at once.

How to determine the age of a chinchilla?

By external signs, it is easy to determine the age of the animal. The definition is possible in several ways:

  • By weight: at the age of two months - up to 300 grams, at six months - up to 500 grams, per year - up to 800 grams.
  • On the heels: juveniles have delicate skin on the heels. To determine the age more precisely, the legs of an individual whose age is not known can be compared with those who know this indicator.
  • On the muzzle: with age, the muzzle is extended.
  • In size: at 3-4 months, the chinchilla is close to the size of a guinea pig, at 6 months and after the animal can be compared with a rabbit.
  • According to the color of the teeth: up to 2 months the teeth are white, and when the chinchillas grow up, the color of their teeth becomes orange.
  • According to gender: in males, testicles appear by the fifth month of life, by the age of seven months, the genitals are already easy to distinguish from female ones.
  • On the ear canopies: in chinchillas with a beige gene, by the age of 5 months, canopies appear on the ears. There should be more than 2 per year, and in an adult at the age of 3-4 years, all ears are strewn with spots.

population

Today, chinchillas are on the verge of extinction. Over the past three generations, the number of rodents has decreased by more than 80%.

In nature, their wide distribution is recorded only in Chile. The number of animals in nature is less than 10,000 individuals.

Since 2008, the animals have been listed in the Red Book.

Attempts to populate rodents in other areas favorable for them did not bring results.

Lifestyle

Chinchillas in the wild

These rodents are monogamous and prefer to settle in groups of up to 10 individuals. During the day, the whole group sleeps, and is awake at night. A "watcher" stands out in the pack, who informs the rest of the community about the approach of danger. Females dominate the colony.

Chinchillas are vegetarians. The basis of their diet: plants, seeds, fruits, lichens and cacti.

From juicy and green food, they get enough moisture, so they practically do not consume water. They can eat dew.

Animals are able to express their attitude to something with the help of sounds. If the animal is unhappy, then it quacks or chirps. An angry rodent chatters its teeth and growls. A frightened individual squeaks.

The enemies of chinchillas are birds of prey and mammals. When danger arises, the animal can attack the enemy: it stands on its hind legs, lets out a stream of urine and clings to the offender with its teeth.

Chinchillas love to bathe in sand, fine dry dust, or volcanic ash. In this way they manage to keep their fur dry, clean and silky. Hairline renewal occurs annually during the warm season.

The average life expectancy of an animal is 20 years.

How do chinchillas sleep

The peak of activity in chinchillas occurs at night, and during the day the animals sleep. A rodent living in pairs or groups sleeps in an embrace, or one individual may perch on top of another.

Even the slightest noise can awaken the animal. Therefore, when keeping chinchillas at home, it is better to develop a clear cleaning and feeding routine so that the pets go to bed at the allotted time. During this period, it is recommended not to make noise.

A pet living in a cage alone sleeps on its stomach or on its side. If the animal collapsed on its side, the owner can conclude that the chinchilla completely trusts him.

How chinchillas see

Chinchillas have nocturnal vision, but rodents see perfectly during the day. These animals have panoramic vision, that is, they have a wider view than humans. This feature gives rodents an advantage over predators - the chinchilla is able to see the enemy from any direction.

The large pupil of the animal allows you to see in the twilight, and the mobility of the pupil does not allow you to go blind in the bright sun.

The animals do not differ in ideal vision; at a distance of more than a meter, the picture will be blurry. But sensitive hearing and vibrissa compensate for this shortcoming.

Chinchillas (lat. Chinchilla)- a genus of chinchilla of the chinchilla family of the rodent order. There are two types: small long-tailed or coastal chinchilla (lat. Chinchilla Lanigera) and short-tailed or large chinchilla (lat. Chinchilla Brevicaudata).

The natural habitat is the desert highlands of the Andes in Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina.

Chinchillas were the object of intensive hunting because of their valuable fur, which led to a strong decrease in their numbers. At the moment, chinchillas are listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

Long-tailed chinchillas are bred for fur on farms in many countries, and are also common as pets.

Chinchillas are native to South America. Short-tailed chinchillas live in the Andes of southern Bolivia, northwestern Argentina and northern Chile. The long-tailed chinchilla is currently found only in a limited region of the Andes in northern Chile.

Chinchillas inhabit dry rocky areas at an altitude of 400 to 5000 meters above sea level, preferring the northern slopes. Cracks in rocks and voids under stones are used as shelters; in their absence, animals dig a hole. Chinchillas are perfectly adapted to life in the mountains. Chinchillas are monogamous. According to some reports, life expectancy can reach 20 years. Chinchillas lead a colonial lifestyle; they feed on various herbaceous plants, mainly cereals, legumes, as well as mosses, lichens, cacti, shrubs, tree bark, and insects from animal food.

Chinchillas live in colonies and are active at night. The exploitation of animals as a source of valuable fur in the European and North American markets began in the 19th century, and there is a great need for skins to this day. About 100 skins are required for one fur coat; chinchilla products are recognized as the rarest and most expensive. Now the rodent is protected in the original habitats in South America, but their range and numbers have been greatly reduced.

The long-tailed chinchilla is kept as a pet and bred for its fur on numerous farms. The fur of a small, or long-tailed chinchilla is grayish-bluish, very soft, thick and durable. The fur of large, or short-tailed chinchillas is of somewhat poorer quality.

They live up to 20 years, while successfully breeding up to 12-15 years.

scientific classification

Kingdom: Animals
Type: Chordates
Class: Mammals
Infraclass: Placental
Order: Rodents
Suborder: Porcupines
Superfamily: Chinchillas
Family: Chinchilla
Genus: Chinchillas

Kinds:

  • Chinchilla lanigera
  • chinchilla chinchilla

    • Chinchilla ( Chinchilla) belongs to the order rodents, suborder porcupine, superfamily chinchilla, family chinchilla, genus chinchilla.

    Description of the chinchilla and photos

    Chinchillas have round heads and short necks. The body is covered with dense soft hair, and stiff hairs grow on the tail. The body length is 22-38 cm, and the tail grows 10-17 cm long. The weight of a chinchilla reaches 700-800 grams, while females are larger and heavier than males.

    At night, chinchillas are easy to navigate thanks to their huge eyes that have vertical pupils. The whiskers of mammals grow up to 10 centimeters in length. The ears of chinchillas are rounded and have a length of 5-6 cm. There is a special membrane in the auricles, with which the chinchilla closes its ears when it takes a sand bath.

    The chinchilla's skeleton can shrink in a vertical plane, so the animals can climb into the smallest cracks. The hind legs of chinchillas are four-toed, and the front ones have 5 fingers. The hind limbs are very strong and twice as long as the forelimbs, which allows mammals to jump high.

    The life expectancy of a chinchilla reaches 20 years.

    Do chinchillas have teeth?

    Chinchilla teeth are very strong, however, like all other rodents. They have 20 teeth in total: 16 molars and 4 incisors. Newborn babies have 8 molars and 4 incisors.

    Interesting fact: An adult chinchilla has orange colored teeth. Cubs are born with white teeth that change color with age.

    Colors of chinchillas. What color are chinchillas?

    Chinchillas have an ash gray color and a white belly - this is the standard color of the animal. In the 20th century, more than 40 different types of chinchillas were bred, the coat color of which has more than 250 shades. Thus, chinchillas come in white, beige, white-pink, brown, black, purple and sapphire.

    Types of chinchillas

    There are the following types of chinchillas:

    • Small long-tailed chinchilla (coastal)
    • Short-tailed (large) chinchilla

    Male and female chinchilla

    Chinchilla female larger than the male and weighs more. Males are more tame. But if you take not a female, but a male first, the chinchilla may be offended and turn its back.

    Where does the chinchilla live?

    Chinchillas are native to South America. The short-tailed chinchilla lives in the Andes of southern Bolivia, in northwestern Argentina and northern Chile. The long-tailed chinchilla lives only in certain areas of the Andes in northern Chile.

    Thanks to strong hind legs, chinchillas are capable of high jumps, and a developed cerebellum guarantees them excellent coordination. These are colonial animals that do not live alone. Chinchillas are most active at night. If there are no crevices and voids in their habitats, the chinchilla digs a mink.

    What does a chinchilla eat?

    Like all rodents, the chinchilla feeds on seeds, cereals, herbaceous plants, lichens, bark, moss, legumes,

    Chinchilla is an active rodent with a beautiful fluffy tail, big beautiful eyes, beautiful thick fur. Warm fur protects the animal from sudden changes in temperature and cold, as they live in the highlands of the Andes. Chinchillas are wonderful pets for the home. They are smart, quick-witted, playful, funny, energetic. They are easily tamed and get used to people, and are also very clean. Chinchilla is listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. They are bred for fur production on specialized farms.

    About the breed:
    If you throw a first glance at a chinchilla, it may seem that you are looking at a mouse, only of a large size. But they have nothing to do with the family of mice. Their beauty has become decisive in the popularity of this species of animals. Chinchillas have beautiful fur, shiny and thick, shimmering with bluish silver. The animal has huge beautiful eyes. If we also remember their quick wit, friendliness and unpretentiousness, it turns out that you simply cannot find a better pet for the house!
    Features of the appearance of a chinchilla are explained by natural necessity. Big ears - to hear the approach of the enemy, long mustaches - for orientation in space, thick fur - to protect from frost, a very sensitive nose - also for safety. But the vision of chinchillas is poor, it is compensated by other senses. Therefore, the chinchilla is very nervous and shy. They generally live up to 10 years. Chinchillas are little studied, so if a pet gets sick, then not every veterinarian can tell why it happened and how to deal with it. Therefore, it is better not to allow your rodent to get sick.

    Titles in other languages:
    Chinchilla - Chinchilla (Latin).
    Chinchilla lanigera is a species of Coast Chinchilla (Latin).
    Chinchilla Brevicaudata is a species of the Great Short-tailed Chinchilla (Latin).

    Classification:
    Species: Chinchilla lanigera, Chinchilla Brevicaudata
    Genus: Chinchillas
    Family: Chinchilla
    Superfamily: Chinchillas
    Suborder: Porcupines
    Order: Rodents
    Infraclass: Placental
    Class: Mammals
    Type: Chordates
    Kingdom: Animals.

    Chinchilla Habitat:
    The habitat is the Andes mountains in South America. But you can meet it in other parts of the mainland, in northern Chile and western Argentina. They settle on the rocks, because there are rocky crevices that chinchillas use as holes. Mountains are their usual habitat, so they are remarkably adapted for mountain life. Chinchillas are nocturnal animals, they navigate well in the dark, thanks to their sense organs. In case of danger, chinchillas hide in narrow cracks. They can crawl through the narrowest dates, as their skeleton can be vertically compressed. But not much is known about life in nature, about chinchillas. Basically, all knowledge about their behavior is from observations of domestic animals.

    Chinchilla Description:
    The external indicators that nature endowed the chinchilla are for their own safety. Large ear locators warn of impending danger and catch sounds; Antennae-vibrissae - replace vision, help to recognize objects and determine the distance to them. Chinchillas have a well-developed cerebellum, which is why they calmly and dexterously move around the mountains. Weak vision is compensated by the speed of reaction. Although chinchillas have poor eyesight, they are endowed with the ability to see well in the dark.
    The body is 20-40 cm long, and the large ears are 6-7 cm, and the whiskers can reach 10 cm or more. The hind legs can grow twice as long as the front ones, have four fingers, and on the front there are five grasping fingers. In the wild, chinchillas live in small colonies. Their funny feature is the way they wash themselves. They use sand and volcanic ash for washing. They have a special membrane in their ears that closes their ears when bathing.
    The coat of chinchillas is soft, silky and thick. Up to 60-70 fluffy hairs will grow from one bulb. The length of the hair reaches 4 cm.

    Chinchilla nutrition:
    Places where chinchillas live in nature do not indulge in a variety of food. They feed on plants that grow in the mountains. They eat cacti, moss, lichens or small insects. Food can be the bark of trees or shrubs. At home, food can be varied. You can only update it once a day, that's enough. Chinchillas are fed with grain or special granulated food, which are sold in stores. It is recommended to give chinchillas coarse hay. From cereals, you can feed buckwheat, oatmeal or stale bread. It is useful for pregnant females to give a hawthorn or rosehip berry a day. The water must be fresh and must be changed every day. In food, pregnant females become picky. If she gets tired of a certain type of food, then she can simply throw it out of the cage. In this case, you need to update the diet. The bored type of food can be returned to the diet only after three weeks, not earlier. They serve as a delicacy a piece of apple, hibiscus, hawthorn berries, carrots.

    Chinchilla breeding:
    Chinchilla begins to bear offspring at the age of six months, about 2-3 times in one year, babies in a litter from 2 to 5, more often 2-3. Chinchilla bears offspring for 3.5 months. A week later, newborn babies can already eat on their own, at 1.5 - 2 months. cubs can be removed. Chinchillas are monogamous, form a stable married couple. When breeding, sometimes chinchillas are kept in colonies, in which 4 females fall on one male. A pregnant female is very restless, so there is no need to disturb her. The offspring of chinchillas is born pubescent, sighted and with erupted teeth.

    Chinchilla content:
    It is better to choose a large cage for a chinchilla, about 0.5 m cubed. Chinchilla loves space. The cage should have toys, shelves, a climbing device. The litter tray can be changed once a week, because chinchillas do not have a bad smell. So that the active chinchilla does not turn over the bowl and drinker, it is better to screw them to the walls of the cage. You also need to buy a container of bathing sand for the chinchilla. Just put her in a cage for half an hour no more than twice a week. The temperature of the cage also deserves special attention. In the heat, the chinchilla can die. She is very shy, so protect her from sudden movements, harsh sounds and other irritants. Only in good conditions and with caring owners can a chinchilla live for many years. A chinchilla takes much less time to care for than a dog. She is very unpretentious.


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