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Chinchilla
by TEAMS Intern
Jason S. |
The chinchilla, found in the Andes Mountains of South America,
is part of the rodent family. A chinchilla's weight ranges from 1-1.5 pounds on the
average. They can grow up to be 10 inches long when fully mature. Although chinchillas
are quite small, they can jump 6 feet straight into the air.
Living in the Andes, at elevations of 3,000-12,000 feet, a chinchilla eats roots,
grasses, grains, bark, fruits, bulbs, leaves, stalks, seeds and nuts. Predators include
cougars, mountain lions and especially humans. Chinchillas live underground in burrows
for safety and defend themselves by either running away or biting when cornered.
When hiding in its home, the chinchilla may temporarily close the entrance. In fights between
males and females, females usually win, because they are larger than the males.
Chinchillas have 1-4 babies per litter and 1 to 3 litters per year. The babies are
born with their eyes open and have lots of fur. They weigh around 1.25 ounces at birth.
The female nurses the babies and the male forages food for her.
Chinchillas have a thick coat of fur to keep them warm and protect them against the
cold of the Andes. The thick coat protects the chinchilla from parasites and predators. A chinchilla's
coat is so thick that chinchillas almost never have fleas or lice, which makes them popular
as pets. Camouflage is used as a defense -- their fur blends well with the blue-gray
rocks of the mountain. A healthy chinchilla's skin should be hard to see if you try
to blow the fur apart. The fur structure is unusual. Each hair has 70-80 fibers making
it very fine. Unfortunately, because of their beautiful coats, chinchillas were hunted
and killed. During the 18th century they were hunted almost to extinction, until
laws banned chinchilla hunting. |
