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Who is a chinchilla: what does this unusual animal look like and what is it like as a pet? Chinchillas - history of origin What does a chinchilla eat?

Chinchilla ( Chinchilla) belongs to the order Rodents, suborder Porcupines, superfamily Chinchilla-shaped, family Chinchillaidae, genus Chinchilla.

Description of the chinchilla and photographs

Chinchillas have a round head and a short neck. The body is covered with thick soft hair, and hard 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 can easily navigate thanks to their huge eyes, which have vertical pupils. The whiskers of mammals grow up to 10 centimeters in length. Chinchilla ears are round in shape and have a length of 5-6 cm. In the ears there is a special membrane with which the chinchilla closes its ears when taking a sand bath.

The chinchilla's skeleton can be compressed in a vertical plane, so the animals can crawl into the smallest crevices. The hind legs of chinchillas are four-toed, and the front legs have 5 toes. Hind limbs very strong and twice as long as the front ones, which allows mammals to jump high.

The life expectancy of a chinchilla reaches 20 years.

Do chinchillas have teeth?

Chinchillas have very strong teeth, just 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 teeth orange color. Cubs are born with white teeth, which change color as they age.

Chinchilla colors. What color are chinchillas?

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

Types of chinchillas

There are the following types 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 pick up the male first, not the female, the chinchilla may be offended and turn his back.

Where does the chinchilla live?

South America is considered the homeland of chinchillas. The short-tailed chinchilla lives in the Andes of southern Bolivia, northwestern Argentina and northern Chile. The long-tailed chinchilla lives only in certain areas of the Andes in northern Chile.

Thanks to their 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 or voids in their habitat, the chinchilla digs a hole.

What does a chinchilla eat?

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

There are two types of chinchillas: the small long-tailed or shore chinchilla and the short-tailed or large chinchilla. The habitat of wild chinchillas in nature is the desert highlands of the Andes in Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and Chile.

Chinchillas were the object of intensive hunting for their valuable fur - this led to a strong decrease in their numbers. Now chinchillas are listed in the Red Book International Union nature conservation and natural resources.

Long-tailed chinchillas are bred for their fur on farms in many countries. In addition, chinchillas love to be kept as pets.

I bring detailed information about Chinchillas from Wikipedia:

Chinchillas(lat. Chinchilla) is a genus of rodents of the chinchilla family.

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

Chinchillas were the object of intense hunting for their valuable fur, which led to a significant decrease in their numbers and were included in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Long-tailed chinchillas are bred for their fur on farms in many countries.

  • 1 Types
  • 2 Natural habitat
  • 3 Biology
    • 3.1 Fur
    • 3.2 Teeth
      • 3.2.1 Dental system
      • 3.2.2 Dental formula
      • 3.2.3 Type of dental system
  • 4 Reproduction
  • 5 First mention
  • 6 Breeding in captivity
    • 6.1 Life cycle

Species

There are types: small long-tailed or coastal chinchilla(lat. Chinchilla lanigera), short-tailed or big chinchilla(lat. Chinchilla brevicaudata).

Natural habitat

The homeland of chinchillas is 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 area of ​​the Andes in northern Chile.

Chinchillas inhabit dry rocky areas at an altitude of 400 to 5000 meters above sea level, preferring northern slopes. Rock crevices and voids under stones are used as shelters; if they are absent, the 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 eat 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. Their skeletons compress in a vertical plane, allowing the animals to crawl through narrow vertical cracks.

A well-developed cerebellum allows the animals to move perfectly on rocks. Large black eyes, long whiskers, large oval ears are not an accident: this is an adaptation to a twilight lifestyle.

The exploitation of animals as a source of valuable fur on the European and North American markets began in the 19th century, and there is still a great demand for skins to this day.

One fur coat requires about 100 skins, chinchilla products are recognized as the rarest and most expensive. In 1928, a chinchilla coat cost half a million gold marks. In 1992, a chinchilla fur coat cost $22,000.

The long-tailed chinchilla is kept as a pet and bred for its fur on numerous farms and private rabbitries.

The fur of the 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.

Now the rodent is protected in its original habitats in South America, but their range and numbers have been greatly reduced.

Biology

The biology of chinchillas in natural habitats has been little studied; basic data on behavior, reproduction, and physiology are obtained in artificial conditions. Most of the data relates to long-tailed chinchillas due to their mass breeding in captivity.

The chinchilla's head is round in shape and its neck is short. The body length is 22-38 cm, the tail is 10-17 cm long and covered with hard guard hairs.

The head is large, the eyes are large, the ears are rounded 5-6 cm, the vibrissae are 8-10 cm. The hind limbs are four-toed, twice as long as the front five-toed ones, and allow high jumps. The toes on the front paws are grasping.

There are 20 teeth, including 16 molars, which grow throughout life. The ears of chinchillas have special membranes, with the help of which the animals close their ears when they take sand baths; Thanks to this, sand does not get inside.

Chinchillas are characterized by sexual dimorphism: females are larger than males and can weigh up to 800 grams; The weight of males usually does not exceed 700 grams.

Chinchillas are adapted to night life: large black eyes with vertical pupils, long (8-10 cm) whiskers, large rounded ears (5-6 cm). The forelimbs are five-fingered: four grasping fingers and one little used.

A highly developed cerebellum provides good coordination of movements necessary for safe movement on rocks.

Chinchillas are herbivores. Their diet is based on various herbaceous plants, mainly cereals, as well as seeds, mosses, lichens, shrubs, tree bark, and small insects.

In captivity, they eat only dried foods (such as dried apples, carrots, hay, nettles and dandelion roots), granules as the main food.

Chinchillas make very interesting sounds: when they don't like something, they make a sound similar to quacks or chirps.

If you make them very angry, they begin to make sounds similar to growling or blowing their nose, and sometimes click their teeth very quickly. If they get hit hard or get very scared, they can squeak very loudly.

But chinchillas are not defenseless - when threatened, they can attack: they stand high on their hind legs, begin to “growl”, let out a stream of urine, and then cling with their teeth.

Fur

Chinchilla has very valuable fur.


White Wilson.

The result of living in a cold mountain climate is thick and warm fur. Chinchillas have one of the densest furs among animals - there are more than 25,000 hairs per square centimeter of skin.

Such a high density is ensured by the unusual structure of the fur: 60-80 very fine hairs grow from each hair follicle. Chinchillas do not have hard guard hairs; downy hairs are only 12-16 microns thick, covering hairs are 24-28 microns thick and are 4-8 mm longer than down hairs.

Chinchillas do not have sweat and sebaceous glands; when they get into water, their fur immediately gets wet, and the animal cannot stay on the surface. To get rid of moisture, remove lost hair and clean fur, chinchillas regularly bathe in volcanic ash and fine dust, as well as fine sand.

All colors of modern captive-bred chinchillas can be divided into mutation species and interspecific* hybrids.

In this case, mutational ones, in turn, are divided into two groups: recessive: non-agouti, charcoal, albino, white recessive, hazy, Polish beige, Sulivan beige, Wellman beige, sapphire, violet, motley, and dominant: black velvet, beige Tover, white Wilson, ebony.

Teeth

Dental system

The chinchilla has 20 teeth. Chinchillas have a relatively small and narrow oral cavity, but with well-developed gums.

Adult animals have 20 teeth in both jaws (upper and lower), including 4 incisors and 16 molars. The molars are set deeply in the jaw bones. The cross section of such a tooth has the shape of a square.

Newborn chinchillas have 8 molars and 4 incisors. The incisors, strongly protruding, chisel-shaped, relatively narrow and constantly growing, are located opposite each other in twos on the lower and upper jaws.

The front surface of the incisors is covered with a thick layer of reddish or yellowish enamel, while the back surface is covered with dentin. The back side, devoid of enamel, wears away more quickly and gives the top of the incisors the shape of a sharp chisel.

The crowns of the incisors overlap each other - the upper one on the lower one. The length of the crowns of these teeth is from 0.6 to 1.2 cm. The incisors serve mainly to hold food and bite off parts of it.

Molars (molars and premolars):

  • 4 premolars - small molars (one on each side of the upper and lower jaw).
  • 12 molars - large molars (three on each side of the upper and lower jaw).

The molars, located at the back of the jaws, together with the premolars, form a group of cheek teeth. Its elements in the chinchilla have a wide, ribbed chewing surface for crushing and grinding food.

Molars are formed by transverse plates without cement (crowns of 2 parallel plates). The cross section of a molar has the shape of a square.

The molars are set deeply in the jaw bones. The total length of these teeth is 1.2 cm (root length - 0.9 cm and crown height - 0.3 cm). The upper and lower molars are located opposite each other, touching the entire surface.

Between the incisors and premolars there is a wide toothless gap - diastema; there are no fangs. This arrangement of teeth allows rodents to gnaw through relatively hard materials and spit out particles of the latter through the diastema, without even taking them into the mouth.

Adult chinchillas have orange teeth, but baby chinchillas are born with white teeth, which change color as they age. Newborn chinchillas have 8 molars and 4 incisors. Incisors grow throughout the life of animals.

Teeth formula

Since different species of mammals have teeth that are homologous, that is, identical in evolutionary origin(with rare exceptions, for example, river dolphins have more than a hundred teeth), each of them occupies a strictly defined position relative to the others and can be designated by a serial number.

As a result, the dental set characteristic of a species can be easily written down in the form of a formula. Since mammals are bilaterally symmetrical animals, this formula is compiled only for one side of the upper and lower jaws, remembering that to calculate the total number of teeth it is necessary to multiply the corresponding numbers by two.

Expanded formula (I - incisors, C - canines, P - premolars and M - molars, upper and lower jaws - numerator and denominator of the fraction) for a set of chinchilla teeth, consisting, as mentioned earlier, of four incisors, 4 premolars and 12 molars, formula looks like this:

I C P M
1 0 1 3
1 0 1 3
  • The sum of the numbers in the formula is 10, multiply by 2, we get 20 - the total number of teeth.

Type of dental system

Most animals have two changes of teeth - the first, temporary, called milk teeth, and the permanent one, characteristic of adult animals. Their incisors and premolars are completely replaced once in a lifetime, and molars grow without deciduous predecessors.

But some mammals (non-edentates, cetaceans) develop only one change of teeth throughout their lives and are called monophyodont. Chinchillas are also classified as monophyodonts.

Reproduction

Chinchillas are mostly monogamous. WITH to a greater extent Reliability of the fact of pregnancy of a female can be determined by a change in her weight; the female’s gain compared to the previous weighing is 100 - 110 g every 15 days.

Starting from the 60th day of pregnancy, the female's nipples swell and her abdomen enlarges. Pregnant females are fed high-quality, fortified and varied food.

As birth approaches, the female moves little and does not touch the food. Most often, the female gives birth in the morning from 5 to 8 o'clock. Childbirth lasts from several minutes to several hours and happen without outside help.

During difficult births, the female is given sugar in the form of syrup 2-3 ml or sand 1.5-2 g 3-4 times a day. The cubs are born covered with down, with teeth erupted and eyes open, and on the first day they are able to move quite freely.

One-day-old chinchillas are weighed and their sex is determined (in females the anal and genital openings are almost nearby, and in males they are at a much greater distance).

Newborn chinchillas have a live weight of 30-70 g. Older females can give birth to more cubs than younger ones (up to 5-6 instead of 1-2).

A day after giving birth, the female can be covered by the male. During the year, a female can cover herself and bring cubs 3 times, but a third covering is not advisable, since the female’s body is greatly depleted.

As a rule, the female produces milk on the day of birth, but there are also delays in the appearance of milk (up to 3 days). Therefore, if the cubs are sitting hunched over, with their tail drooping, you need to examine the female.

If she does not have milk, the chinchillas are placed with a milk nurse or fed artificially with a special mixture for feeding kittens. During the first week, the cubs are given water every 2.5-3 hours.

The lactation period lasts 45-60 days, at this age chinchilla chicks are approximately transplanted; they can also be transplanted at 30 days of age, especially if the cubs are fed with kitten feeding mixture after placement.

Young animals grow quite quickly, month-old cubs are almost three times their one-day weight and weigh 114 g, at 60 days - 201 g, at 90 days - 270 g, at 120 days - 320 g, at 270-440 g and adults - 500 G.

As a rule, the released young animals are kept in ordinary cages of several heads, females and males separately.

Polygamous breeding of chinchillas is also often found, when there are 2 - 4 females per male; with age, the number of females can reach up to 4 - 8.

First mention


The first part of the book “Chronicle of Peru”, (1553).

In 1553, the animal (apparently mixing with mountain viscachas) was mentioned in literature - in the book “Chronicle of Peru” by Pedro Cieza de Leon. The name chinchillas comes from the name of the Peruvian province Chincha(Peru).

Breeding in captivity


Artificial feeding of a baby chinchilla


Female and male chinchilla in a cage.

The founder of captive breeding of chinchillas was the American engineer Mathias F. Chapman.

In 1919, he began searching for wild chinchillas, which by that time were extremely rare. He and 23 hired hunters were able to catch 11 chinchillas over 3 years, of which only three were females.

In 1923, Chapman managed to obtain permission from the Chilean government to export chinchillas. He managed to adapt the chinchillas to the lowland climate and transport them to San Pedro (California).

These animals became the founders of a new species of artificially bred fur-bearing animals. At the end of the 20s, the number of chinchillas increased annually by 35%, in the early 30s - by 65%.

In the 1950s, chinchilla farms existed in most developed countries. Since the beginning of the 90s, there has been a trend not only in keeping chinchillas as pets, but also in breeding.

Life cycle

The chinchilla reaches sexual maturity at 7 months (some later) and is capable of producing 2-3 litters per year, each of which has from 1 to 5 puppies, with an average of 2-3 puppies. The duration of pregnancy is 111 (110-115) days.

They live up to 20 years, and successfully reproduce up to 12-15 years. With an increase in offspring from 2-3 to 5 puppies at a time.

A chinchilla has three pairs of working nipples, which are enough for raising 3 puppies (1 pair is absorbed). Chinchillas are born with teeth erupted, sighted and covered with primary hair.

From 5-7 days they begin to eat food. Young animals are separated from their mother at the age of 50 days, when they have a live weight of 200-250 g. Chinchillas stop growing by 24 months, when they reach a live weight of 450-600 g.

The strongest and most prolific rodents, distinguished by high-quality hair, are left for the tribe. When grading (at 6-7 months), the chinchilla is assessed by physique, live weight, constitution, quality of hair and its color.

From 14 weeks of age in puppies (approximately), it is possible to determine the quality of the hair coat and predict it at 6-7 months.

When selecting at 6-7 months, young animals with a live weight of at least 400 g, active, healthy, with normal development and thick gray hair with a bluish tint are left for the tribe.

After the chinchilla reaches sexual maturity, hunting in females is repeated throughout the year with a certain cyclicity, on average every 30-35 days (with fluctuations from 30 to 50 days) and lasts 2-7 days.

The greatest sexual activity animals exhibit from November to May, with a maximum in January - February. The onset of heat in a female can be determined by her behavior and the condition of the external genitalia.

The female becomes more active in hunting, and the male begins to court her, snorting loudly. The female refuses the food and scatters it. The female's external genitalia swells and turns pink, and an open genital slit becomes noticeable.

I invite everyone to speak out in

IN lately Breeding chinchillas at home has become a popular activity. Many parents believe that a cute, fat-assed chinchilla will be a good friend for their child. Most often, children are really delighted with these exotic animals. Before getting a furry pet, it would be nice to find out how chinchillas live in nature, how chinchillas sleep, what size they reach, what the animal looks like, how many teeth rodents have. All this information, as well as characteristics of the species, its description and interesting facts about chinchillas are contained in this article.

Classification

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

  • kingdom - Animals;
  • tipu - Chordata;
  • class - Mammals;
  • infraclass - Placental;
  • squad - Rodents;
  • suborder - Porcupines;
  • superfamily - Chinchilla-like;
  • family - Chinchilla;
  • family - Chinchillas.

The chinchilla genus is divided into 2 species:

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

There are mutational species that differ in hair color.

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 northwestern Argentina.

The habitat of rodents is rocky areas, preferably northern slopes. You can meet a rodent at an altitude of up to 5,000 m. Animals choose narrow cracks and openings between stones as a home and 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. – on average 0.5 kg, more than 0.8 kg. they won't grow. The female usually weighs more than the male.
  • Rounded head and short thick neck.
  • The eyes are round, black, and 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 all over the body is thick, and the hairs on the tail are coarse.
  • The fur color is most often gray, but there are other varieties (black, white, beige, brown, pink, purple and others). The abdomen is white.

Animal skeleton

The body structure of chinchillas provides them with reliable shelter and makes it possible to survive in rocky mountain conditions. The chinchilla's skeleton tapers when necessary. The need may arise when an animal hides in narrow crevices from predators and bad weather. There are 5 toes on the front legs of rodents, and 4 on the hind legs. The hind legs 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. Determination is possible in several ways:

  • By weight: at two months of age - up to 300 grams, at six months - up to 500 grams, per year - up to 800 grams.
  • On the heels: young individuals have delicate skin on the heels. To determine age more accurately, the paws of an individual whose age is unknown can be compared with those for whom this indicator is known.
  • According to the muzzle: with age, the muzzle becomes longer.
  • In size: at 3-4 months a chinchilla is close to the size of a guinea pig, at 6 months and after the animal can be compared to a rabbit.
  • By the color of the teeth: up to 2 months, the teeth are white, and when chinchillas grow up, the color of their teeth becomes orange.
  • By sexual characteristics: in males, testicles appear by the fifth month of life; by the age of seven months, the genital organs are already easy to distinguish from female ones.
  • According to the ear flaps: chinchillas with the beige gene start to have fluff on their ears by the age of 5 months. There should be more than 2 of them per year, and in an adult at the age of 3-4 years, all the ears are covered with spots.

Number

Today, chinchillas are on the verge of extinction. Over the past three generations, the rodent population has declined by more than 80%.

In nature, their wide distribution has been 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 colonize rodents in other areas favorable to them did not bring results.

Lifestyle

Chinchillas in the wild

These rodents are monogamous and prefer to live in groups of up to 10 individuals. The whole group sleeps during the day and is awake at night. An “observer” is allocated in the flock, who informs the rest of the community about the approaching danger. In the colony, the leading positions are occupied by females.

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

They get a sufficient amount of moisture from succulent and green food, so they practically do not consume water. They can eat dew.

Animals are able to express their attitude towards something using sounds. If the animal is unhappy, 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 appears, the animal can attack the enemy: it stands on its hind legs, releases a stream of urine and clings to the offender with its teeth.

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

The average lifespan 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. Rodents living in pairs or groups sleep 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 alone in a cage sleeps on its stomach or side. If the animal is lounging on its side, the owner can conclude that the chinchilla completely trusts him.

How do chinchillas see?

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

The animal's large pupil allows it to see in the twilight, and the mobility of the pupil prevents it from going blind in the bright sun.

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

Chinchilla family

(Chinchillidae)*

* A small family of caviomorphic rodents, including 3 genera and 6 species.


Only recently have representatives of this small family of American animals become better known, the skins of which have been used by the indigenous inhabitants since ancient times South America, and starting from the end of the last century they began to be brought to Europe in large quantities. Their body is covered with fur, more delicate than that of all other mammals. The fur color is light gray with white and black-brown or yellow tints.
All chinchillas live in South America and mostly in the mountains at a considerable altitude, between bare rocks below the snow line, only one species lives in the lowlands. Their homes are natural caves or holes dug by themselves. They are all sociable, some live in families in the same cave. Avoiding light, like hares, they appear mainly at dusk or at night. These are fast, dexterous, timid and fearful animals; in their movements they are half-rabbit, half-mice. Hearing is apparently their most developed sense. Mental abilities are negligible. Roots and lichens, bulbs and bark, as well as fruits constitute their food. Reproduction is about as strong as that of hares. They easily tolerate captivity and give pleasure with their cleanliness and easy tameability. Some species are harmful, or at least a nuisance, by burrowing underground, but all are useful for their meat and fur.

Only two species of these animals are known: short-tailed chinchilla(Chinchilla brevicaudata) and actually chinchilla(Chinchilla laniger). The first reaches a length of 30 cm, its tail is 13 cm long, and with hair 20 cm. Uniform, thin, extremely soft fur on the back and sides consists of hair that is more than 2 cm long, the hair at the root is dark bluish-gray, further covered with wide white rings, and dark gray at the ends. This makes the overall color appear silver with a dark tinge. The underside and legs are pure white; the tail has two dark transverse stripes on top; the whiskers are black-brown at the root, gray-brown at the tip; large black eyes.
Already in the time of the Incas, the Peruvians made cloth and other similar materials from the fine silky wool of chinchillas, which were in great use, and writers such as Acosta and Molina give quite detailed, although not entirely correct, descriptions of this industrially important animal. In the last century, the first skins appeared in Europe as a great rarity through Spain, and now they have become a common item of trade. Fur traders knew two species of true chinchillas much earlier than zoologists. Only in 1829 could Bennett provide more detailed information about this animal, after he got it alive and for a long time observed in England. But even now the natural history of the chinchilla is in many respects very dark.
A traveler who climbs from the western coast of South America into the Cordillera, reaching an altitude of 2000-3000 meters above sea level, often notices for whole miles that all the rocks are covered with chinchillas and two species of another genus of the same family *.

* Looks like mountain viscos (Lagidium). Both chinchillas and mountain viscachas rarely dig their own burrows, preferring to find refuge in voids under stones and rock crevices.


In Peru, Bolivia and Chile these animals must be extremely common, since we learn from travelers that they passed by thousands of animals in one day. On bright days you can see chinchillas sitting in front of their holes, but not on the sunny side of the rocks, but always in the deepest shade. You notice them even more often in the morning and evening hours. They then enliven the mountains and especially the ridges of barren, stony and rocky areas, where only the most sparse vegetation exists. Apparently, it is on completely bare steep rocks that they wander back and forth with extraordinary speed and liveliness. With amazing ease they climb up and down steep rocks with nothing to grab onto. They rise up 6-10 meters with such agility and speed that you can barely follow them with your eyes. Although they are not particularly timid, they do not allow you to get close and instantly disappear as soon as you pretend that you want to pursue them. A sheer cliff covered with hundreds of animals becomes empty and dead the minute they are shot at. Each chinchilla quickly hides in a rock crevice and disappears into it, as if magically hidden from view. The more fragmented the cliffs, the more often they are inhabited by chinchillas, since it is the cracks, crevices and voids between the stones that give them shelter... Sometimes it happens that a traveler who, without doing anything bad to these animals, rests on the heights, is simply besieged by these inhabitants of the rocks. The stones gradually come to life, a head peeks out from every crack, every crevice*.

* During the periods described by Brem, chinchillas were found in colonies of up to 100 or more individuals. Due to uncontrolled fishing, their numbers fell sharply, but are now recovering again as a result of conservation measures.


The most curious and trusting chinchillas dare to approach and, finally, fearlessly run under the feet of grazing mules. Their gait is more of a certain kind of jumping than walking, but it resembles the movements of our mice. When resting, they sit on the back of the body, pulling their front legs to their chest and stretching their tail back, but they can rise completely freely on their hind legs and stay in this position for some time. When climbing, they grab the cracks of rocks with all four paws, and the slightest unevenness is enough for them to hold on firmly**.

* * The ability to climb and jump (in captivity, a chinchilla can easily jump from the floor onto a person’s shoulder) is all the more surprising since the chinchilla’s limbs look too small and weak, and the claws on them are short and blunt.


All observers show that this animal is capable of enlivening even the most desolate and sad mountainous terrain and at the same time entertaining and amusing a person traveling alone at these heights.
There is still no exact information about the breeding of the chinchilla, although it bred in the London Zoological Garden. In their homeland, pregnant females were found at any time of the year and they learned from the natives that the number of cubs ranged from 4 to 6; more detailed information was not available. The cubs become independent as soon as they can leave the cracks in the rocks in which they first saw the light, and the old female, apparently, from the moment they emerge, ceases to care for her offspring***.

* * * Despite living in colonies, chinchillas are monogamous, and females are larger and more aggressive than males and occupy a dominant position in the colony. In a year there are usually 2 broods (rarely 1 or 3) of 2-3 (up to 6) sighted, developed, young with a full set of teeth.


In their homeland they are often tamed; they are still quite rare in Europe. When free, the chinchilla eats grass, roots and moss and uses its front paws to carry food to its mouth.
In former times, the chinchilla was found, they say, right up to the sea on all the mountains as often as now on the high ones; at present it is found on lower mountains only in the form of isolated specimens. The relentless persecution she endures for her skin has driven her to the heights. It has been jealously hunted since ancient times and even now they use almost exactly the same hunting methods as before. Europeans, however, sometimes kill it with firearms or crossbows, but this hunt gives unreliable results, because if the chinchilla is not hit so that it dies instantly, then it hides in one of the cracks of the rock and disappears for the hunter. Much more reliable is the method of hunting that the Indians use. They place well-made snares in front of all the cracks in the rocks that they can reach, and the next morning they take out the chinchillas caught in these snares. In addition, the Indians are passionate about hunting, which we use for rabbits. They know how to masterfully tame a weasel* and train it to hunt chinchillas, then they do exactly the same as our hunters do with ferrets, or they leave it to the weasel itself to pull out the animal killed inside the lair.

* The long-tailed or white-striped weasel (Mustela frenata) is a small predator, very similar to the ermine, but somewhat larger.


Tschudi mentions that one merchant in Molinos, the westernmost town of the La Plata states, used to export 2000-3000 dozen dozen chinchilla skins annually, but already in 1857 he could put into trade only 600 dozen. “Many of the Indian hunters,” he says, “complained in my presence about the great decrease in the number of these animals and about the increasing difficulty of catching them. This is a consequence of continuous imprudent pursuit. Having squandered the money received from the sale of the catch, the chinchilla hunter buys on credit a certain amount of food supplies, obliging to pay after the hunt, and goes to the wildest mountain areas for chinchillas**.

* * Now chinchillas live only on rocky plateaus at altitudes of 3000-5000 m above sea level.


Here these cute little animals live in almost inaccessible cracks or at the foot of rocks in lairs dug by them themselves. They are unusually timid, and any unusual phenomenon or unusual noise drives them with the speed of lightning to safe shelters, if at that time they were eating or, which they especially love, playing in the sun a short distance away. Near old or new chinchilla settlements, which the hunter noticed with his eagle eye during difficult wanderings, he places loops made of strong horsehair or simple traps in front of the entrance holes and waits for the results, well hidden at some distance. Curious chinchillas, when they think that the danger has passed, quickly jump out of their shelters and either hang in nooses or are killed by traps. The Indian hurries, takes them out and again arranges the fishing gear. But now a longer time passes before frightened animals decide to leave their home. They stay for two days in their lairs before they venture out again, for which they pay with their lives. It is easy to understand that a hardy and patiently waiting Indian can thus destroy an entire settlement, and in the end hunger drives even the last chinchillas into the loop. They are not shot, because even the very seriously wounded flee to their lairs and in this case disappear, and the blood from the wounds stains the extremely delicate hair so much that such skins greatly lose their beauty and value. After a many-week stay in the Cordillera, the chinchilla hunter returns with his catch to Molinos and receives 5-6 pesos for a dozen skins."
In northern and central Chile, the short-tailed chinchilla is replaced by another, smaller species*. In terms of lifestyle, this species is apparently completely similar to the previous one, and is also close to it in appearance and fur color. But it is much smaller: the entire length is at most 35-40 cm, of which the tail occupies approximately a third. Thick soft hair on the back is 2 cm long, on the back and sides 3 cm. Its color is light ash-gray with dark specks, the underside and legs have a matte grayish or yellowish coating. On the upper side of the tail, the hair at the base and at the tip is dirty white, brownish-black in the middle, and the underside of the tail is brown.

* The large short-tailed chinchilla inhabits the Andes of southern Peru, Bolivia and northern Argentina. The chinchilla itself lives in northern Chile.


Only after many requests from naturalists were several skulls sent to Europe**, and later live animals, although travelers have been mentioning the chinchilla for a very long time.

* * Currently, chinchilla breeding on farms as a fur animal has been established all over the world; the livestock numbers more than a million individuals; selection is underway; breeds have been created with different fur colors, from white to black. Unfortunately, after 1-2 generations, the fur of caged animals begins to yield to the fur of wild chinchillas. In captivity, shinshills lived up to 20 years.


Hawkins, who published a description of his journey in 1622, compares it to a squirrel, and Ovalle says that these squirrels are found only in the Guasco Valley and are extremely valued and hunted for their good fur. Molina introduced us to this animal at the end of the last century. He says that the wool of this species is as fine as the threads of a spider's web, and, moreover, so long that it can be spun. “This animal lives underground in the northern regions of Chile and willingly stays together with other relatives. Its food consists of bulbs and bulbous plants, common in those parts. It gives birth to 5-6 cubs twice a year. Those caught become so tame that They do not try to bite or run away if they are picked up, they sit calmly even if they are placed on your lap, as if it were their own lair, and, apparently, they are extremely fond of being stroked. Since they are very clean, they are very clean. There is no reason to be afraid that they will stain your dress or give it a bad smell; they do not have a particularly bad smell, like other mice. Animals can therefore be kept in houses without inconvenience and with little expense; they would more than compensate for all expenses if they were to do so. shearing wool. The ancient Peruvians, who were much more inventive than today, knew how to make blankets and other materials from this wool.”
In 1829, a small chinchilla was brought alive to London and described by Bennett. This is a very quiet creature, which, however, sometimes tried to bite if it was in a bad mood. She was rarely cheerful, and only sometimes could one see her strange jumps. She sat on her hind legs, but could stand and stand on her hind legs, and brought food to her mouth with her front paws. In winter I had to bring her into a moderately heated room. She loved grains and succulent plants more than dry herbs, which, on the contrary, the larger short-tailed chinchilla very willingly ate. A small chinchilla could not be planted together with a large one; when once they did this, a terrible battle began, in which the little one would certainly have died if the fighters had not been separated immediately.
The observations that I was able to make myself on one small chinchilla in captivity agree in essential features with Bennett's data. However, my captive proved that she was more nocturnal than diurnal. True, the chinchilla could stay awake during the day, but only if she was disturbed. When she once escaped from the cage and could wander around the house at will, she constantly hid during the day, but was even more alive at night.
South Americans very readily eat the meat of both types of chinchillas, and European travelers apparently also like it, although they say that it cannot be compared with the meat of our hare. However, this meat is used only incidentally, main goal hunting is the skin. Chinchillas of the high Cordilleras are especially valuable, according to Tschudi, since their hair is longer, thicker and thinner and they have much stronger fur than the coastal animals, whose skins have almost no value. In America now only hats are made from this wool; the art of primitive masters died with them.
In the fur trade, according to Lomer, two types of skins are distinguished: the skins of the larger short-tailed chinchillas, long and thin-haired, and the skins of the smaller chinchillas, short-haired; the former cost 15-25 marks each, the latter only 1-5 marks*. Up to 20,000 of the first go into trade every year. The difference between the best and worst skins is very striking, but there are transitional forms, the definition of which is difficult even for an expert.

* Contrary to what Brem said, the fur of the larger short-tailed chinchilla is valued less than the fur of the chinchilla itself, which continues to be one of the most expensive in the world.


Mountain viscachas(Lagidhtm)** have significantly more long ears, a tail covered over its entire upper surface with fluffy hair, four-toed legs and very long mustaches.

* * In Brem's time, these animals were called pushers. Mountain viscachas (Lagidium) live in colonies of up to 80 animals in dry, rocky, very vegetated areas of the Andes from Peru to Patagonia. Unlike chinchillas, they are diurnal and produce only 1 cub in each litter.


In terms of the structure of their teeth, chinchillas and viscachas are very close to each other; in terms of their lifestyle, they are almost completely similar. Until now, only two species of mountain viscachas*** are reliably known, which live among the bare rocks of the Cordillera near the very border of the oven snow at an altitude of 3000 to 5000 meters above sea level.

* * * Now there are three types of mountain viscachas.


They are as active and dexterous as chinchillas, exhibit the same properties and feed on more or less the same or at least similar plants. Of the two species, one inhabits the plateaus of southern Peru and Bolivia, the other inhabits northern Peru and Ecuador.
Peruvian whiskey(Lagidium retapitus) - the animal is approximately similar in size and appearance to a rabbit, only the hind legs are much longer than those of real rabbits, and long tail does not allow comparison with the tail of our hares. The ears are about 8 cm long, their outer edge is slightly turned inward, the end is rounded, the outside is covered with sparse hair, the inside is almost naked, the edge is quite densely lined with hair. The fur is very soft and long, the hair, with the exception of some dark ones, is white at the root, dirty white at the tip, mixed with yellowish-brown. Thanks to this, the fur receives an ash-gray color, which is somewhat lighter on the sides and turns yellowish. The tail is set on the bottom and sides short hair, white and black, and towards the end completely black; on top the hair is brownish-black, long and tousled. Particularly striking is the long mustache, reaching almost to the shoulders*.

* An unusually long mustache is characteristic of all members of the family.


From this animal probably come the skins that are traded under the name "chinchillons." They are of negligible value; only a few hundred end up in Europe each year.
Plain viscacha(Lagostomus maximm) is more similar to the chinchilla than to the mountain viscacha**.

* * Plain viscacha is not similar in appearance to chinchillas and mountain viscachas. It is found not only on the plains, but also in low mountains, on mountain plateaus up to 2600 m.


The body is dense with a short neck and a strongly convex back, the front legs are short and four-toed, the hind legs are strong, twice as long and three-toed. The head is thick, rounded, flat on top and swollen on the sides, the muzzle is short and blunt. On the lips and cheeks there are whiskers that are particularly rigid; they are even more like metal than horny formations; they have great elasticity and ring if you run something over them. Almost hairless, narrow, blunt-pointed ears average size, the wide-set eyes are also not large, the furred nose and deeply cleft upper lip constitute other features of the head. The underside of the hind legs is covered with hair in front, bare and calloused at the back, the underside of the front legs, on the contrary, is completely bare. Short claws, surrounded by soft hair, make up the armament of the front legs, longer and stronger ones - the hind legs. The body is covered with rather thick fur, on the upper side it consists of evenly distributed gray and black hair, which is why the back appears quite dark, the head is grayer in color than the sides of the body, the wide stripe that stretches along the top of the muzzle and along the cheeks is white , the tail is covered with dirty white and brown spots, the entire underside and inside of the legs are white. There are, however, sometimes deviations from this color. Others have a more reddish-gray back with black spots, a white underside, a reddish-brown transverse stripe on the cheeks, a black muzzle, and a chestnut-brown tail. Body length is 50 cm, tail length is 18 cm*.

* The weight of an adult can reach 7 kg. Weight Limit chinchillas and mountain whiskey -1.6 kg.


Plain viscacha replaces its family relatives on the eastern side of the Andes, its distribution area currently being the pampas, from Buenos Aires to Patagonia. Until the cultivation of the land advanced as far as it does now, it was also found in Paraguay. Where it still exists, it is found in large quantities. In some places there is so much of it that entire herds sit on both sides of the road, but this only happens at night.
It is the most secluded and deserted areas that constitute its habitat, but it reaches even the most cultivated areas; travelers even know that if they come across many viscacheras, that is, the dwellings of this animal, it means that Spanish settlements are not far away.
Vizcacha settles on sparsely vegetated and large expanses of bare, dry plains and digs extensive underground burrows here, most likely near bushes and not far from fields. The burrows are built together and are also inhabited together. They are equipped with countless passages and galleries for escape and are divided inside into several chambers, depending on the size of the family that has settled here. The number of family members can reach up to 8-10, but in this case part of the population leaves the old home and establishes a new one, willingly settling near the old one**.

* * Usually viscacheras covers an area of ​​about 600 mg and has about 20 burrows up to 200 m in length and an entrance up to 1 m in diameter. The population of one viscacheras is 20-30 animals, and they are “led” by an adult male. Thanks to the release of earth from the burrow system. the territory of the colony is raised above the flat surface of the pampa by 50-80 cm.


It often happens that a cave owl comes here and takes possession of one or another dwelling without much difficulty. Clean viscachas never tolerate the presence of a roommate who does not care about order to the same extent as they do, and they immediately leave if one of the newcomers annoys them with his uncleanliness * * *.

* * * Viscacheras is inhabited by many animals. Most tenants occupy already abandoned holes and are harmless to the colony, foxes and large snakes pose a threat.


Due to this, the soil is sometimes undermined over an area of ​​a square mile. All day long the whole family lies hidden in the dwelling; by the time the sun sets, one animal, then another, appears, and with the onset of dusk a large company gathers in front of the entrances. It carefully examines whether everything is calm and wanders around the home for a long time before going for food. At this time, you can see hundreds of these animals playing with each other, and hear their grunting, similar to a pig, from a considerable distance. If everything is completely calm, then the company goes for food, and everything edible that they come across is good for them. Grasses, roots and bark constitute, of course, the main part of the food, but if there are fields nearby, the animals visit them too and cause noticeable devastation there. When they move to pasture, they are also extremely careful: it never happens that they forget to protect themselves. One by one, the viscachas rise to their hind legs, listen carefully and peer into the darkness of the night. At the slightest noise they take flight and hastily, emitting a loud cry, rush to their holes; their fear is so great that even then they still scream and make noise when they have already reached a safe home*.

* The Vizcachas constantly maintain contact in the colony sound signals. Their repertoire is unusually rich.


In their movements, viscachas are in many ways similar to rabbits, however, they are significantly inferior to them in speed, although they are more cheerful, more cheerful and more inclined to play. Walking to the pasture, they flirt with each other almost continuously, run fussily around, and jump over each other with a grunt**. They take to their burrows various things that they find during outings to pasture and place them in a disorderly heap in front of the entrance, as if these objects could serve as toys for them. In front of the holes there are piled up bones and nests, cow droppings and things accidentally lost by humans that do not bring the animals the slightest benefit, and gauchos, having lost something, go to the nearest viscacheras to look for the lost object there. Animals carefully remove everything unnecessary from their homes. Whether they collect winter provisions in burrows to feed on during the harsh seasons is not yet known, at least this is what one of the old naturalists claims. Their voice is a strange, loud and unpleasant snort or grunt that defies description.

* * Viscachis run at a speed of 40 km/h and can make three-meter jumps. Often they have to graze quite far from the viscacheras, since the grass around it has long been eaten, and rush headlong to the hole in danger, making sharp turns.


Nothing reliable is known about reproduction to date. Females are said to give birth to 2-4 cubs, which grow in 2-4 months***.

* * * During the year there is one (in the northern regions - two) broods in July - August. Pregnancy lasts 5 months, and the litter usually contains 2 well-developed cubs. In captivity, viscachas lived up to 10 years.


Goering saw only one cub at the old whiskeys. He always stayed close to his mother. She treats him with great love and protects in case of danger. If you catch the babies and handle them, they become tame and easy to handle, just like our rabbits. In some places they are also found in European zoological gardens; the viscacha, which was kept in the Frankfurt Garden, was, according to Haacke, always unresponsive, gloomy and characterized by furious anger.
Vizcacha are less persecuted for their meat and hide than for their underground burrowing abilities. In those places where they are common, horse riding is indeed associated with danger to life, since horses often push through the arches of shallow passages and from this become extremely frightened, if they do not fall at all, they throw off the rider or even break their legs.


The native already recognizes viscacheras from a distance by one small wild bitter melon, which the animals readily eat. This plant is always found where there are a lot of viscacheras, which serves as a sign by which you can avoid dangerous places. They try to drive out the Viscash from places close to the villages by all means and use fire and water to destroy them. The grass around the holes is burned, thus depriving them of food, the homes are flooded and the animals are forced to seek salvation outside the hole, where lying in wait dogs soon catch them. In addition to humans, this animal has many other enemies. The condor, they say, hunts viscachas as often as their relatives in the mountains, wild dogs and foxes strongly pursue them in the steppe if they appear in front of their holes, and the marsupial rat even penetrates into their homes, where it attacks the animals. True, viscacha defends itself to the best of its ability from its strong enemies, fights with dogs for a long time, bravely fights with a marsupial rat, even bites people’s legs, but what can a poor rodent do against strong predators! However, despite all these persecutions, the number of viscachas would hardly have begun to decrease if their reproduction had not been hampered by the ever-expanding cultivation of the soil. And in this regard, man, having taken possession of the soil, becomes the most terrible enemy of this animal.
The steppe Indians believe that a viscacha locked in its hole is not able to free itself and must die if its relatives do not dig it up. Therefore, the Indians close the main exits of the viscacheras and tie one of their dogs there as a guard, so that it does not allow other viscacheras to approach, who are ready to come to the aid of the prisoners, until the Indians return there with nooses and nets. Naturally, the locked viscachas are afraid to go out when they notice a dog near the house, and the Indian thus achieves his goal.
The Indians eat the meat of viscachas and use their skin, although it is of much less value than the skins of the above-mentioned species.

Animal life. - M.: State Publishing House of Geographical Literature. A. Brem. 1958.

The chinchilla animal 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 are 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 caring for and keeping a chinchilla at home.

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


The 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 its belly its fur has a light gray tint. Modern colors of captive-bred chinchillas are varied and have many variations.


The description of the chinchilla includes a lot unusual facts about these rodents. For example, their ears have special membranes, with the help of 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 night life. The animal's hind legs are longer than its front legs, which allows it to jump to a height of 2 meters. Chinchillas make many interesting sounds, they can quack, chirp, growl, squeak and click their teeth.

Where and how long do chinchillas live?

Chinchillas live for about 20 years. The homeland of these animals is South America. IN 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 natural environment The chinchilla animal lives in rock crevices, 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 along 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 mostly monogamous. Chinchillas become capable of reproduction at the age of 7-8 months. The duration of pregnancy is a little more than 3 months. Usually 2-3 babies are born. The female is capable of bearing 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 began to be hunted for their beautiful fur in the 19th century. To make one fur coat, it takes about a hundred skins, so chinchilla fur products are rare and expensive. In 1928, a coat made from the fur of these rodents cost half a million gold marks. In 1992, the price of a chinchilla fur coat was $22,000. Currently, the chinchilla animal is protected in South America. Now in many countries there are special farms where chinchillas are bred for their fur.

It is better to get a chinchilla when the animal is no more than 2-3 months old. At this age, the animal quickly adapts 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 and at night. The first time after the animal appears in the house, give it a few days of rest so that it gets used to its new home.


Taming a chinchilla is not that easy. For the most part, chinchillas do not need much attention and communication with their owner. Therefore, a chinchilla should be tamed gradually. Try giving your pet a treat, open the cage door and hand the chinchilla something tasty. The pet will definitely take the treat from your hands, if not immediately, then after a while. The main thing is not to try to forcibly pick up the animal.


To tame a chinchilla you will need patience, calmness and a caring attitude. Soon the tamed animal will be safely in your arms or sitting on your shoulder. Remember that by nature the chinchilla is a gentle, timid creature and does not like loud noises. Be careful when handling your chinchilla and do not frighten it.

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


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


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

Pelleted dry food and hay are the best diets for chinchillas. As a top dressing, you can give your chinchilla flax seeds, corn grains, dandelion leaves, birch, willow, raspberry, apple, currant and linden branches. But under no circumstances give branches of cherry, oak and coniferous trees. You should not feed your chinchilla many fresh vegetables and fruits, as this can lead to stomach problems.


Chinchillas especially 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 raw; fried grains are contraindicated for the animal. You should not give your chinchilla food from your own table (bread, cookies, etc.).

Care and maintenance of chinchillas at home

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


Keeping a chinchilla requires maintaining a certain temperature. The chinchilla animal does not tolerate heat well, so the cage should be placed in a cool place, without direct contact sun rays and drafts. The optimal temperature for keeping a chinchilla will be +20-22 °C. At temperatures of +25 °C and above, the rodent will overheat. Never place the cage near batteries.

The bottom of the cage must be lined with sawdust or special filler. The animal goes to the toilet anywhere and it is very difficult to train a chinchilla to do it in one place. The litter will have to be changed at least once a week. It is better to hang the feeder and drinker, otherwise the chinchilla may 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 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 V in this case will become a round aquarium or any other deep, stable container of a round shape. Place it on the floor, lay newspaper under it, pour a 5-6 cm layer of sand on the bottom and put the animal there for 20-30 minutes.


Caring for a chinchilla at home includes bathing at least 2 times a week. If your home has high humidity and temperatures close to +25 °C, bathing should be done 3 times a week. Bathing is a must for an animal if you want your chinchilla to have beautiful fur. Do not forget that swimming in water is harmful to a chinchilla and will cause health problems.

In general, caring for and maintaining a chinchilla at home does not require much effort. The main condition is to protect the animal from overheating and observe correct mode nutrition. Try not to leave the animal unattended outside the cage. Remember that rodents love to taste everything and you will be guaranteed damaged furniture. The main danger lies in electrical wires. Also, do not forget that any hard-to-reach space in the apartment will be immediately explored by a curious animal.


The 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 odor and shedding, peaceful character. But the disadvantage is night look life. If you decide to get such an animal, you will have to get used to rustling, squeaking and fussing at night.

Chinchilla diseases


If you have the slightest suspicion that your chinchilla has health problems, you should contact your veterinarian. It is extremely undesirable to delay visiting a doctor, because the sooner the problem is identified, the greater the chance of curing your pet.

Take care of your pets, take care of them and do not 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.