Chinchilla - Chinchilla lanigera
Habitat:
Barren, rocky, mountainous area
Range:
Northern Chile, Andes Mountains
Activity Cycle:
Nocturnal
Features:
They are typically a blue gray or soft light brown. They are incredibly soft with a thick fur coat that protects them from parasites and predators. Each follicle of hair in the coat has up to 60 fibers.
Size:
Weight range is 1 to 1.5 lbs. Can grow up to 10” long
Social Structure:
in the wild live in colonies of up to 100
Life Expectancy:
15-20 in captivity, 8-10yrs in the wild
Diet:
Their diet in the wild is roots, grasses, grains, bark, fruits, bulbs, leaves, seeds, nuts and stalks. Their diet in the zoo is chinchilla chow.
Reproduction:
Females give birth to a litter of one to four young. Newborns have hair, teeth, and open eyes at birth. Newborns can eat plants at birth, but also drink their mother's milk for about 6 weeks.
Status:
They are noted in Appendix I of CITES as being vulnerable and the IUCN lists chinchillas as "critically endangered" There are only a few thousand left.
Interesting Facts:
- Predators include cougars, mountain lions and especially humans.
- Defense is to run away or bite when cornered.
- Over 100 chinchilla pelts are needed for one fur coat.
- A chinchilla can jump 6 ft, straight into the air.
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