Jake Forman
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March 8, 2012
Wildlife biology, 3B
Essay
Chinchillas
Most of us will likely not see wild chinchillas in our lifetime. They have become quite
rare, plus finding them in their native habitats requires climbing to heights that will make
many of us sick. Wild chinchillas are native to South America, specifically the Andes
Mountains. Named after the Chincha people who live in the Andes, the chinchilla is a
member of the Chinchillidae family. There are two surviving species of wild chinchillas,
both quite rare. A third species, the Giant chinchilla was hunted to extinction. The existing
species are the Chinchilla lanigera, and the Chinchilla brevicaudata. Both species have
become quite rare in the wild state, with the species Chinchilla brevicaudata facing possible
extinction.
The scarcity of the chinchilla in the wild is because of its highly prized fur. Many
domesticated chinchillas are a part of the pet trade, some are also raised for their fur. Prior
to chinchilla ranches, the wild chinchillas were heavily hunted, leading to their precarious
existence today. Being only slightly larger than a ground squirrel, it takes a number of wild
chinchillas to make a single fur coat. Wild chinchillas are now protected species in the
countries of their origin, specifically Chile, Peru, and Bolivia. Hopefully, the protection
being given to them will lead to a rebound population, or at least keep them from being
extinct.
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Chinchilla fur is extremely soft and extremely thick, so thick that it provides defense
for the chinchilla in the wild. A predator attacking a chinchilla often will get nothing but a
mouthful of fur. The types of predators the chinchilla faces are, Owls and hawks, which
will fly and hunt chinchillas from above. Snakes are another type of predator they can
sneak up on chinchillas from behind or from below in snake holes. Foxes, mountain lions
and cougars can serve as predators, too. Predators of wild chinchillas must be ready for a
chase if they hope to capture their prey. Chinchillas have an instinct to run and hide when
danger is sensed. The chinchillas are small enough to hide under logs, in bushes or burrow
underground to get away from predators. They are also very agile and capable of climbing
up trees , rocks and jumping . Depending on the type of predator that is chasing the
chinchilla, the chinchilla may be able to successfully escape and outrun its predator. Birds
that hunt chinchillas often give up once the chinchilla burrows underground or goes into
hiding somewhere.
Chinchilla's fur is so thick that to keep clean, wild chinchillas take dust baths as
water will not easily penetrate all the way to their skin. A chinchilla will usually take
several dust baths a week, a necessity that most pet owners need to be keenly aware of. A
wet chinchilla can soon become a very
sick chinchilla. While domesticated chinchillas come in a variety of colors, attained through
selective breeding.
Wild chinchillas live in cracks and crevices in rocky terrain at high altitude. The can
survive at altitudes as high as 15,000 feet. Such altitudes border on the so-called "death
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zone" for humans, who can normally not exists for lengthy periods of time above about
14,000 feet. They are a burrowing animal, and live in colonies, with a group of chinchillas
usually referred to as a herd. The chinchilla is an herbivore, eating mainly grasses and
seeds. They drink only small amounts of water, and usually avoid foods containing
excessive moisture which can cause them to bloat, a potentially fatal condition. Chinchillas
will also eat wildflowers and some fruits when available. The chinchilla's digestive system is
quite slow working as they do not easily digest the cellulose in their diet. Many of the
nutrients will pass right through not doing a lot of good.
Wild chinchillas have a relatively long life span, though normally not as long as
domesticated chinchillas. Except for predators, a wild chinchilla will live for about 10
years, though domesticated chinchillas have lived more than twice that long. While
chinchillas will "breed like rabbits", the population of wild chinchillas does not explode,
because the gestation period for the female is 111 days, limiting her to between 2 and 3
litters a year, with the usual litter size being 2 kits, although a litter of up to 5 kits
sometimes occurs. The chinchilla is born with its eyes open, and is able to begin walking
around soon after its birth.
Chinchillas are awesome animals I personally own two of them. Sadie was my first
chinchilla, I got her when she was three months old and now she is 8 years old! I got my second
chinchy about two months ago. I rescued her from conditions that could have killed her within 6
months. Her name is Zoey and she is about 8-9 years old. Chinchillas are beautiful creatures and
are very loving. They feel like a feather when holding them cause there so small and lite. Their fur
feels like your petting a cloud it is the softest fur of any animal in the world.