What is a Chinchilla
Chinchillas belong to the order Rodentia and form their own group Chinchillidae.
Chinchillas in the Wild
They are colonial animals and are mainly crepuscular (active or appearing at dusk or twilight), are herbivorous, and obtain their water from desert plants and from the dew that accumulates on the leaves. They do not have a regular pool or stream of water from which to drink. They have a dense coat which protects them from both heat and cold. Like most desert animals, they rarely drink, even in hot climates. They thrive best in temperatures below 80°F, and less than 50% humidity.
There were originally three species of chinchilla identified in the wild – The Royal Chinchilla (Chinchilla chinchilla chinchilla), the Brevicaudata (Chinchilla chinchilla boliviana) and the Lanigera (Chinchilla lanigera).
The largest of these was the Royal and this now appears to be extinct in the wild, and also in captivity. A pair was owned by Martin Nillson, a Swede, in 1931 and his records show this pair as being used for breeding, but no further records have been uncovered. It originally lived very high up in the mountains, way above 4000m.
The Brevicaudata is much smaller than the Royal but larger than the Lanigera, has much the better fur quality, rounded body, hairless ears and a shorter tail. It is reckoned that there are only about 1000 of this type still alive worldwide. This species was domesticated and bred in North America and Europe from1923 onwards. Dr Juan Grau from Santiago in Chile who runs a wild-caught breeding ranch, maintains that there are many of this species still living in the Peruvian, Bolivian and Chilean Andes. They are reputed to live in burrows from 2700m to 4000m above sea level, and their gestation period is 125-128 days.
Dr Grau also maintains that the third species, the Lanigera, still exists in the wild on the coastal mountains from Antofagasta to Rancagua from 360m to 2300m above sea level. It lives in colonies in areas well away from human inhabitation. This species is the most common in captivity. This species has longer ears, covered with hairs, has a very long tail, but in body is much smaller than the others. It has a shorter gestation period of 108-11 days. The Lanigera is now divided into three types, the La Plata which is more muscular, with a heavier bone structure, a more rounded conformation, shorter ears, and a shorter and wider head. It has a better density of fur but the fur is longer and so more laid back than the other two types. In the standard grey colour of the wild chinchilla, it gives only medium and light variations of grey, and also occasionally a slight browny tinge to the fur.
The Costina type is weaker in body, and has longer hind legs. It has a more arched appearance to its spine, a V-shaped head with long thin ears, and a pointed nose. They are longer in body but have a better colour, and shortness of fur. The Raton type is similar to the La Plata but is much smaller and has the pointed nose of the Costina but is rarely seen.
The Lanigera, having been thought extinct, was re-discovered in 1974, and a reserve, The National Reservation For Chinchillas, was set up in Chile in 1983. However, half of the sightings of chinchillas appear to be on the communally owned land around the Reservation.
References: Bickel E., (1987), Chinchilla Handbook, Ascot:T.F.H. Publications; Schreiber G, (1987), Chinchillas as a Profitable Hobby, Ascot:T.F.H. Publications; Jimenez, J.E. (1989), Uso de la técnica de las tarjetas ahumadas para evaluar la efectividad de cebos para micromamíferos silvestres, con énfasis en Chinchilla
lanigera, Medio Ambiente:
