Chinchilla chinchilla
Range
Chinchillas are found in the Andes Mountains of South America.Habitat
They live in the scrubby areas and on rocky slopes. They live in the mountains up to 15,000 feet high.Body Traits
They are about 1-foot long, with a 7-inch tail. They weigh only about 1 pound. They have longer back legs and so are great jumpers. Their fur is so soft that they were hunted for fur coats. They were hunted until they almost disappeared (extinct). They are still very endangered in the wild.Habits
They are active at night (nocturnal). During the day, they sleep in rock crevasses. They come out in the open at dusk and dawn to sit in the sun.Diet
They eat roots, bark and even cactus (herbivores).Predators
Predators that hunt them are owls, snakes, mountain lions, and until they were protected — man.Reproduction
Females are pregnant for about 125 days(gestation). They have 1-2 kittens. They have 2-3 litters of babies a year.Lifespan and/or Conservation Status
They live for about 10 years in the wild. They are listed as critically endangered. They are protected from hunting.
Classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Subphylum: Vertebrata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Rodentia
- Suborder: Hystricomorpha
- Family: Chinchillidae
- Genus: Chinchilla
- Species: Chinchilla chinchilla