Chinchilla
Chinchilla laniger
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Range
Northern Chile
Habitat
Barren, rocky, mountainous
Diet
Chinchillas are generally herbivorous, eating grass, seeds, and fruits, as well as insects.
Reproduction
After gestation of about 111 days, a litter of one to six young (usually two or three) is born. The young are born fully furred and with open eyes. Two litters per year are common.
Social Structure
Chinchillas live in colonies of up to 100 individuals and are active mainly at night.
Status
Chinchillas are perhaps best known for their soft fur, which is so dense that up to 60 hairs can grow out of one follicle. Sadly, people have killed chinchillas by the millions for their soft fur. Well over a hundred chinchilla pelts are needed for one fur coat. Today, there are only a few thousand chinchillas left in the wild.
Chinchillas are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and protected under Appendix I of CITES, prohibiting international trade.
