Origins
- Originated in South America, natives of the snow-capped Andes mountains.
- In high altitudes and cold climate, the chins adapted very well and their thick fur kept them from the cold.
- They made their homes in gaps and crevices between large rocks.
- They were originally a source of food and fur for the native Chinca and Inca people of South America.
- They were discovered by the Spanish pioneers in the 1500s and brought back to Europe for their fur.
What is a chinchilla?
- Chinchillas are classified under the Rodentia group. It is actually a rodent.
- There are two species of chins, the Chinchilla brevicaudata and the C. lanigera.
- Both species are practically extinct in the wild, in most of their original habitats.
- Today's pet chins which we commonly see are believed to have come from the C. brevicaudata species.
- Chins have been described as a chubby squirrel with big ears or a small rabbit with short ears and a long tail.
- Their standard facial features would include large black eyes, large ears and long whiskers.
- Their teeth grow continuously throuhout their lifespan, hence they will gnaw at things to keep their teeth trimmed.
- Chins were originally bred for fur production (and there are still chinchilla ranches out there which breed chins for fur).
- Their fur is densely packed ; compared to other mammals, they have more fur per square inch on their bodies.
- The standard colour of a chin is grey, which consists of blue-grey fur more than an inch long. Underneath the body, their fur is usually yellowy-white.
- The other colour variations of chins, such as white and beige, are actually mutations of the original standard grey colour.
- They do not get mites or ticks because the fur on their bodies are too densely packed for mites or ticks to get through.
