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Chinchillas

Family: Chinchillidae

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Black Velvet ChinchillaChinchilla lanigeraPhoto © Animal-World

     Chinchillas have great appeal, like cuddly little "balls of fur". Their exceedingly soft, dense coat has more fur per square inch than any other known mammal!

They make good pets and are very lively. Keeko loves to go outside in the long grass (on a leash) to jump and play. Pippin is actually Keeko's father! Pippin likes to be left alone more than Keeko, probably because he was in a breeding situation for several years.

     The average lifespan of a Chinchilla is 8 - 10 years, though in captivity they have been known to live up to 20 years.

For information about Small Animals and their care visit:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Small Animal

   See other Chinchilla color varieties below:

Scientific name: Chinchilla lanigera, Chinchilla brevicaudata

Background:      The Chinchilla was named after the South American Chinca Indians .by the Spaniards in the 1500's. There are about 6 species in the Chinchillidae family and all are found only in South America. Originally they came from the Andes mountains in Peru, Chile and Bolivia. Presently, they can only be found in the mountains of Bolivia.      The Chinchillas seen today are the descendents of 11 little critters brought into California by Mathius F. Chapman in 1923 to be bred for their fur. All species have dense beautiful fur. The importance of the Chinchillas in the fur trade led to intense harvesting and today they are a relatively endangered as a wild species, though there are over 3,000 Chinchilla ranches in the United States raising the domestic species.      There are two types of domestic Chinchilla, the Chinchilla lanigera and the Chinchilla brevicaudata.

Description:     Chinchillas are adorable animals with long ears, large eyes and bushy tails; they are also rodents.Their tail looks like a squirrels' tail and accounts for about one third of their length. The chinchillas' body is 22.5 - 38 cm (8 3/4 - 15 in) long. The tail is 7.5 - 15 cm (3 - 6 in) long. They can weigh anywhere from 18 to 35 ounces.      The Chinchilla Lanigera is distinguished by a more pointy face, a longer tail, and a more slender body, while the Chinchilla brevicaudata is thicker in the neck and shoulders and has a shorter tail. Visually the C. lanigeria looks larger, but the stockier C. brevicaudata is actually a bigger Chinchilla. It is mostly thought that the pets are of the C. lanigera species.      The hind limbs of the Chinchillidae are longer than their forelimbs, and the animals are good at running and leaping; they are also good climbers.      Today there are different colored domestic chinchillas including blue-grey, white, beige, black, violet, and mosaic. Keeko and Pippin are called grey chinchillas.

Environment:      An indoor enclosure makes a perfect chinchilla home. In the wild where the ground is suitable, they dig burrows, but otherwise they shelter under rocks. The cage needs to be large enough for your pet to stand up on it's hind legs without bumping it's head, as well as being large enough to put in a little sleeping hut for the animals privacy (a cardboard box works great for this), a place for food and water dishes, and also have space for running around. Use absorbent bedding material on the bottom.      Provide a good soft bedding that is clean, non-toxic, absorbent, relatively dust free and easily acquired. Use a natural bedding since the chinchilla will probably eat some of it, and make sure it doesn't contain paint, lacquer, or varnish resins! A good bedding is a pelleted litter which is is non-toxic, digestible, and draws the moisture inside leaving the area dry. Other litters include wood shavings and corncob. Avoid cedar or chlorophyll impregnated shavings as they have been associated with respiratory and liver disease.      Chinchillas are a colder climate animal and cannot tolerate high heat. Keep the cage in a draft free place with a constant temperature between 60 to 80 degrees. Remove the animal waste everyday. Once a week change the bedding and disinfect the cage with bleach, rinsing it well.

Care and feeding:      Provide a water bottle with fresh water daily.      Chinchillas feed on available vegetation in the wild, including roots and tubers. They sit up to eat, holding their food in their front paws. Their cheek teeth grow throughout life.They should be fed a Chinchilla pellet which provides most of their nutritional needs. Use a crock for its food as they are difficult to knock over and spill and they are hard to chew. They can be fed occasional greens, and they love dried bananna pellets for a treat.      Chinchillas must be given access to a dust bath (available at pet stores) at least once every few days. Chinchilla teeth grow continuously so to keep them trim you must provide a block of wood for the chinchilla to chew on.

Regular Gray Chinchilla - "Keeko"

Social Behaviors:      Social animals, they live in small family groups which are part of larger colonies of 100 or more. It is better to keep pairs or families in captivity.      Chinchillas are very sensitive and highly suseptible to stress when introduced to a new environment or new companions. Introduce anything new slowly, giving them time to examine it before making a permanent change. When frightened they will shed hair as a defense.

Breeding/Reproduction:      Female Chinchillas are larger than males and are agressive toward one another. They breed in winter, usually producing two litters of 1 - 6 young. the gestation period is 111 days, and the young are suckled for 6 - 8 weeks.

Common health problems:      Here is what most breeders recommend for common health problems:            Diarrhea: give the chinchilla shredded wheat. Those little cubed 1" square ones work great.            Constipation: Feed the chinchilla raisins.            Runny eyes: Use a boric acid rinse. This may be a sign of other problems or infections, so if it persists for more than a day or two take your pet Chinchilla to a veterinarian.

Availability:     Although kind of a specialty pet, you should be able to find a breeder or a pet shop that can order a Chinchilla for you if they don't keep them at all times.

Common Chinchilla Color Varieties
Black Velvet	Violet
Mosaic 3 Photos  © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough	White Photo  © Animal-World: Courtesy Shana Giron

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I got a Chinchilla just yesterday. I decided to name him Romeo for his boyish yet cute personality. He is very cute, and he is already starting to get used to my scent. He likes to run when its play time at 8:00, he jumps over pillows and climbs stairs all for fun! Last night he kept climbing up me and putting his nose right on my lips as if he were kissing me! Sometimes I just can't resist to take him out durring the day. Sometimes he is tired and just lets you hold him, or sometimes he wakes up and gets going! I think Chinchillas are great animals, although they require lots of attention and care, I would suggest them to a family that is mature and responsible enough to research them, and take good care of them. Xoxo, Meg :) Meg 2009-04-20
I love my pet chinchilla I bought her at a pet store. I had 3 but my niece who is 4 yr. old fell in love with one of them who was a pair so I couldn't split them up. The only problem I have found is keeping my hands off of it. Its so Soft! She is 2 yrs. old now and a bundle of fat softness! I got her an exercise ball. It's better than a hamster... or a bunny and the poop is small and odorless. However her pee is not... LOL. I highly recommend Chinchillas! Desiray 2009-01-23
Chinchillas are the furiest, and the cutest pet you could ever have! But if you are planning on getting a chinchilla then I would suggest you do your homework on them because even though they are really cute animals they need a lot of things to stay happy and healthy! Also they come in many colors! My personal favorites are the wilson white, black velvet, and beige. And they are very energetic little animals! But they are naturally asleep in the daytime so if you are going to play and have fun with them, make sure you play with them at least near nightime when they are awake. They are truly fascinating animals! logan 2009-01-01
Chinchillas are very sweet animals and do a lot of cute things for our children. They keep the kids long and happy with whatever they do. I have had a chinchilla now for 3 yrs. and it is just a doll! If you get one you better take good care of it now and be careful with the same gender together for a long period of time. Take care and have a great year! Lila Mistalern 2008-12-04
My girlfriend has had a chunchilla for two almost three years and he (his name is Boe) has recently developed a habit of barking at me whenever I get near his cage. When my girlfriend and I first started seeing each other he was fine with my presense. I built him a much larger cage than what he had and we take care of him as we always have. It has only been in the past three weeks he has developed this aggression! He doesn't try to bite or atack me, but he does bark and lundge at me as though I were a predator. I wonder what could be the cause of this attitude change. Could it be that he is in rutt, like a buck coming into his own or does he simply not like me anymore, and if so what might I do to bond with him. It's not like I can throw the football with him! One more thing, he won't even accept food from me any longer! Please, anyone that has had a similar experience,... Thanks so much! Chris chris 2008-06-19
Some of the coolest comments:
Last month we were on the blist of a heat wave, here in Rochester New York even. We kept the Chinnies indoors for the duration. It was so hot they just layed in the bottom of their cage for most the duration. Something above changed and the weather began to improve. First, a few days of light to moderate rain, temperature decreased to the 70's, and the humidity was down to the 50 percentile. That was just fine for all of us, including the chinnies. The weather was partly cloudy at early hour in the upper 60's, I set them outside in the shaded area. Two hours later it wasn't so shaded but the temperature was still only 74. At that time I noticed two of the furballs real excited about something and I assumed it was they were just trying to get out of the cage. I again observed the temperature was at 75 degrees F. I monitor the temp with a calibrated thermo-couple to +/- 1 degree F tolerance. 20 minutes later My wife and daughter were in agony. They found all 4 chinnies past out, one was also due in the next weeks. The outside temperature was about 78 degrees. So we thought it was something unexplainable. We took them to the animal hopspital only to find that we would need a biopsy. Well the end result was they all died but one. The mother, with young, sadly didn't make it. These little charmers have been the dearest little pets. Yes they can bite from time to time but never serious. All but one was lost. After calling around, we learned from a rancher, original rancher where they were bought from, that ultraviolet radiation did the trick. Even the animal hospital was unaware of ultraviolet radiation. Every living life form has its means to control body heat, as perfect as these critters may seem, they have one strong set back, heat stroke: The symptoms (human) of heatstroke include: Fever (temperature above 104°F) Irrational behavior Extreme confusion Dry, hot, and red skin Rapid, shallow breathing Rapid, weak pulse Seizures Unconsciousness * Man or animal, "heatstrokle is heatstroke" and the symptoms are not enjoyed. Heatstroke is beyond a Chinchilla's imagination. These critters by virtue of their natural habitat have no need for heat control. They come from the high Andes Mountains. Seldom is there a day above 75 there. Especially when Ultraviolet Radiation is exceptionally high they have the natural reaction to get out of the rays and retreat into their dwellings or behind rocks. I recently was told about an individual who drove with many in the vehicle. The vehicle was comforted with airconditioning, however, the sun was emitting intense radiation. Needless to say, the drive was a sad one, all perished in transport. Need I say more. We were hurt. How many others procure pets and think home is the ideal place. How many have had their circumstances as such with out an understanding. We have books and such and no where is there comment of ultraviolet radiation. Consider the microwave oven, radio waves, where everyhting is unsuspecting, until all the molecules within you get so excited they literally cook at such an exceleration rate until you literally pop. Do you need pictures... Please don't let this happen to you or your pets. Consider the dog or children in the car? Enough said, I am glad I was able to put this out for others. Love your pets...they will love you back. K Noack 2007-07-23
Chinchillas are the sweetest animals! However they are not for everyone. Chins are gennerally not "cuddle pets" that want to sit on youre lap, they are however sweet and bond well with their owner. Chinnies are, however, not the best pets for every one. They have strict dietary requirments and need large cages of at least 2x2x2 feet, 2x2x3 is better. They need fresh chincilla pellets with NO treats mixed in, and fresh timothy hay, every day. If the food has treats in it, the chinchilla will push the pellets out and only eat the treats. They should get no more then 2 raisins a day, or a small amount of dried rose hips, cranberrys, or apple. Chins need out of cage exercise every day, unless the cage is at least 2x4x4 feet, and even then they need exercise at least 3 times a week. Chinchillas are less then ideal pets for young (or under 9) or irresponsible children, however their are exeptions. Chinnies tend to nip at fingers to test how tasty they are, which some times frightens young children. When buying keep in mind that chins live 10-20 years if well cared for. Also keep in mind they are delicate, so dont grab them. Ozzysmom 2007-04-14
Comments Dr Jungle REALLY Likes to Hear!
I just received three male Chinchillas! I have been wanting one for quite a while and I stumbled upon a classified for not one, not two, but three! One is Gray, one is Beige, and one is White. They are the cutest and softest pet I have ever owned! Thank you for all the great information on your website. jay 2009-03-14
hello. i am getting a chinchilla in a week. in all the pictures i've seen they have been so cute. i learned a lot from your site, thank you. i love double c's princess 2006-04-20
The Chinchilla is so cute and this website gives u tons of information, thanks so much. i am doing a project and this website gave lots of imformation. thanks again for everything. Gina 2005-05-05

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