Chinchilla Profile

Latin Name: Chinchilla lanigera
Female: Doe
Male: Buck
Young: Kittens
Life span: 10-20 years (domesticated)
Litter Size: 1-2 kittens
Birth weight: 1.2 oz. to 1.6 oz
Eyes open: 10 days
Gestation period: At birth
Average weight:Male 1 lb to 1.4 lbs
Female 1 lb to 1.6 lbs
Sexual maturity: 4-12 months
Weaning age: 8-10 weeks
Diet: Herbivores

Chinchillas originate from South America and live in the mountains of the Andes. Wild chinchillas live in nooks and crevices in rocks and they live at altitudes of 3,000 to 15,000 feet. At these altitudes there are massive fluctuations in weather and temperature and their thick coats protect them from the cold, however, Chinchillas bred in captivity are unable to withstand extremes in temperature.

Spanish pioneers discovered the chinchilla in the 16th Century when they were kept and used by the native Incas and Chincas for food and clothing. Chinchillas were later brought to Europe where their pelts became fashionable and widely used for clothing. This demand for chinchilla pelts almost made them extinct but, fortunately, in the early 20th Century, a miner named Mathias F. Chapman captured 11 chinchillas and bred them in captivity, servicing the demand of the fur trade, but also securing survival of the species.

The name Chinchilla means little chinta.