Chinchilla – rodent with soft fur

Chinchilla is a nocturnal rodent with soft fur, large ears, and a bushy tail. There are two species of chinchilla – short-tailed and long-tailed. The long-tailed chinchilla often kept as a pet.
An average chinchilla has a head and body length between 23 and 38 centimeters and a tail length between 7.5 and 15 centimeters. Males are smaller than females. Their silky fur is mostly gray in color. A female chinchilla may give birth to up to six infants at a time.
Their diet includes leaves, seeds, fruits, and other vegetation.

Chinchillas prefer to live in the mountainous regions of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. They are alpine animals, living in colonies in rock piles and scree.
Humans have prized chinchilla fur since the days of the Incas. Between 1895 and 1900, 1,680,000 chinchilla skins were exported from the country of Chile alone. So, chinchillas are becoming endangered.
Chinchillas are very fascinating little creatures with incredibly soft fur. They are gentle animals that require a lot of care and attention to keep them happy and healthy.

Amazing chinchilla

Chinchillas have very dense fur, which helps them cope with the cold climate in their native habitat – in the Andes.
Red blood cells or erythrocytes in chinchillas’ blood can carry much more oxygen than any other rodent’s or even rabbits’.
They can jump very high – up to two meters and higher!
These wonderful creatures can sleep upside down just like bats! They developed this ability, because in nature they must sleep in tiny cracks and holes on the side of the mountains. However, they can also successfully sleep on their sides or in an upright position!
In a natural habitat they can live in groups of up to 100 individuals.
Their soft fur can be white, black, beige, gray, sapphire or purple.
Their teeth grow continuously throughout their life.
Chinchillas live from 10 to 15 years.
In the wild birds of prey, wild cats, skunks, snakes and even dogs feed on them.