Chinchilla
Chinchilla Rat, South American
rodent, whose name reflects both its rat like shape and its thick, silky
fur, which resembles the commercially valuable fur of its relative, the
true chinchilla.
Chinchilla rats occupy a
small range in southwestern South America. They are found from southern
Peru and Bolivia to central Chile, including the northwestern part of Argentina.
Their habitats vary in altitude from sea level to elevations as high as
5000 m (16,000 ft).
Chinchilla rats are covered
with soft gray or gray-brown fur that resembles the fur of true chinchillas
but is not as woolly. The belly is yellowish-white or brown, depending
on the species. The tail of the chinchilla rat is covered with short, fine
hair, unlike the bushy, squirrel-like tail of true chinchillas.
These rodents range in size
from 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 in), not including the tail, which measures between
6 to 18 cm (2 to 7 in). They weigh 200 to 300 g (7 to 11 oz). Members of
a species of chinchilla rat found in central Chile are unique in that they
have 17 pairs of ribs, more than occur in any other rodent.
The chinchilla rat's diet
is made up of plant material, including nuts, seeds, and fruit. They live
primarily on the ground but are willing to climb bushes and trees in search
of food. They forage for food at night.
Chinchilla rats live in rock
crevices and underground tunnels, where they nest and raise their young.
After a gestation that lasts from 115 to 118 days, females give birth to
between one and six young. Chinchilla rats form small colonies, sharing
their burrows with each other and sometimes also with the degu, another
rodent of similar size and habits. They communicate through grunts, squeaks,
and gurgles.
Although the fur of chinchilla
rats is not of great commercial value, these animals are nevertheless targeted
by hunters, who sometimes sell their pelts to gullible buyers as true chinchilla
pelts. The combination of hunting and habitat destruction has caused chinchilla
rats to become scarce in some parts of their range.
Scientific classification:
Chinchilla rats make up the family Abrocomidae in the order Rodentia. There
are two species of chinchilla rats, classified as Abrocoma bennetti and
Abrocoma cinerea.
.Chinchilla, common name for rodents
found in the Andes at altitudes of about 3000 to 5000 m (about 10,000 to
16,000 ft).
The squirrel-like chinchillas
are 23 to 28 cm (9 to 11 in) long, excluding their bushy tails, which are
7 to 15 cm (3 to 6 in) long. The ears are large and almost hairless. With
short front legs chinchillas hold the roots and grasses on which they feed;
the long hind legs enable the animals to hop about with great agility.
Females produce an average of two to three offspring per litter, and may
produce two litters in a single year.
Chinchillas are covered with
dense, soft fur, mottled gray on the back and whitish on the underside.
They were formerly slaughtered by the thousands for their fur, and by the
1920s, when protective laws were adopted, they were almost extinct. Chinchilla
farms for fur production were subsequently established in South America
and the United States with some success.
Scientific classification:
Chinchillas belong to the family Chinchillidae.
By: Stephen Pike