The How To On Chinchillas

This hub is about the care of Chinchillas, how to feed Chinchillas, grooming Chinchillas, the origin of the Chinchilla and other things that you might not have known about your Chinchilla!

Chinchilla Origins

Chinchillas are actually rodents, crepuscular rodents to be exact, and are native to the Andes mountains located in South America where they live in burrows or rocky crevices.Crepuscular means that they are active from dusk til dawn. Larger than a squirrel, the chinchilla almost became extinct by the end of the 19th century due to the popularity of its fur. Today most of the items made with the fur of chinchillas are farm raised animals.

Predators of the chinchilla are your usual fare such as birds of prey, mountain lions, snakes, and skunks, to name a few. They have a defense mechanism which is that they spray urine and release fur if bitten. Okay, I was gonna tell of a similar way I escape my wife, but I won't go there. They also have the ability to jump very high for their height, sometimes with leaps of 5 feet!

The first chinchillas to be brought over to the US were by a California miner by the name of Mathias F. Chapman who first became engrossed with this little mammal when he purchased one in Chile in 1918. He started a chinchilla farm in the mid 1900's after getting grudging approval from the Chilean government to export a few specimens. Thus the beginning of domestication for the chinchilla.

The chinchillas have become more, and more popular since the 1960's as house pets, not only popular for their fur (leave me alone PETA I am just stating the facts!). They come in different colors such as gray, beige, white, and ebony. They range in size from 15-20 inches, including the tail.

Chinchilla Temperament

Chinchillas are, for the most part, nocturnal animals that do not like to be disturbed during the day. Chinchillas are pretty skittish and high strung with somewhat of a dislike for being held. Although if handled properly from the time they are babies, or kits, they become acclimatized to touch and make excellent pets. Because of their skittish behavior, they do not make good pets for children.

Chinchillas communicate with chirps and barks. They use calm, loving chirps for mates and loud, aggressive barks when threatened. Um, you know, I could swear I am part chinchilla; our similar ways of communication is uncanny!

Chinchilla Diet and Care

The main diet of the chinchilla is grasses. Therefore, their foods should be hay pellets along with loose hay thrown about. Try to avoid moist fruits and vegetables as this can cause bloating and can become potentially fatal. Dry fruit, such as raisins, can be given in moderation. Also avoid nuts because of their high protein, high fat consistency. Chinchillas do not drink a lot of water, so careful adherence to a good diet is essential to prevent diarrhea and diabetes in the animal. One chinchilla per 90cm x 61cm x 46cm cage should be sufficient.

Providing your chinchilla with pumice dust allows them to bathe a few times a week. In the wild they use volcanic ash to bathe to aid in the removal of dirt and oil in their fur. Since chinchillas do not have sweat glands, heat is dissipated through their large ears. A chinchilla with overly red ears is a sign that your chinchilla is overheating and may be in danger of having a heat stroke. So try to keep your chinchilla in an environment where the temperature stays below 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The reason they do not bathe in water is because their fur is so dense drying completely is virtually impossible allowing for the possibility of fungal growth. Another thing to note is that the teeth of the chinchilla are constantly growing, so items for chewing such as chew toys, pumice stones, and sticks are essential to prevent overgrowth of their teeth.

Domesticated chinchillas have a very good life expectancy for small animals which is 15 years, with some living 20 years, or more!

Conclusion

Well I hope this hub answered a few of your dire chinchilla question. If I forgot something, please do not hesitate to leave a comment about it, as I stated earlier. Thanks for stopping by and happy chinchillin'!