chinchilla lanigera

Name: chinchilla lanigera
Family: Chinchillidae
Order: Rodentia (rodents)
Body length: 22-38 cm (the size of females larger than males)
Tail length: 15 cm
Weight: 450-900 grams

Chinchilla has a very thick soft fur the color varies between: gray, white, and brown. This thick fur that helps chinchilla to survive in their cold habitat. In the 18th and 19th centuries, many hunted for fur chinchilla nearly extinct. Though threatened with extinction, chinchillas are sold in pet stores in developed countries.

Eyes and ears are large chinchilla. Chinchilla claws are small and soft. Chinchilla teeth grow continuously throughout life, so they must constantly biting something hard to keep their teeth from growing too long. Chinchilla including crepuscular animals, which animals are active at dawn and dusk. Their large eyes help them to see objects in semi-dark conditions.


Habitat
Wild chinchillas live in the rocky mountain slopes at altitudes between 10000-16500 feet in the Andes, Northern Chile. They live in burrows among the rocks.

Food
Chinchillas are herbivores. In the wild, chinchillas eat plants like grass and moss. In zoos or as pets, chinchilla food pellets for rabbits, apples, carrots, lettuce, pak choi (bok choy), kale, and straw.

Life Cycle
Baby
Unlike other rodentia (rabbits, squirrels, mice, hamsters) are born without hair and eyes closed, baby chinchilla born with thick hair and eyes open, equipped with one set of teeth that can be directly used.

Adolescent
Children chinchilla will start independent after 6-8 weeks old.

Adult
Chinchillas become sexually mature between 6-8 months.
Marriage season
Although pet chinchilla will breed with the opposite sex are chosen for them, in the wild, chinchillas live with the same partner throughout their lives. Breeding season lasts between May and November. Chinchilla had females fertile period for about two days, usually in winter. After mating, gestation chinchilla is about 105-115 days. Chinchilla can breed continuously until they die.

Birth
Chinchilla will give birth to about 2-3 babies. To prepare for very cold conditions, they are born fully feathered with eyes open. This is also the reason why the chinchilla has a longer gestation period than other rodents. Average weight of a baby chinchilla is is 45 grams. In the wild, chinchillas can live to 10 years, but pet chinchillas can live to 20 years.