The chinchilla has almost disappeared from its range in the Andean regions of Chile, where it lived in vast colonies at between 3,000 and 4,000 m in altitude. In the wild, there are 2 species: Chinchilla laniger and Chinchilla brevicauda. The domestic species is a cross between these 2 species.
- Size: 35 cm to 50 cm
- Weight: 500 g to 600 g
- Lifespan: 12 years on average (up to 20 years possible)
Housing
- A large, spacious cage: 80x60x100 at minimum, i.e. 400 cm² of floor area, with several levels
- Bedding: hay in thick layers, wood shavings, hemp bedding, etc.
- Sand baths with a specific bathing dust: these sand baths help to remove excess sebum from the skin.
- Fit out the cage with large branches to provide exercise.
- Ambient temperature: 18-20 degrees.
Diet
- A strictly herbivorous rodent that consumes 50 to 90 grams of food per day
- Dry food: 30 g of complete feed, good-quality hay
- Avoid fresh vegetables and food intended for guinea pigs or rabbits!
Care:
- It is a crepuscular, even nocturnal, animal that adapts very well to captivity. Its cage needs to be cleaned daily.
- Sometimes requires veterinary care.
Common diseases
The most common problems are dental, digestive and respiratory disorders, skin problems and disorders linked to the ingestion of hair.
The chinchilla's teeth grow throughout its life. If they wear down poorly (malocclusion), the animal drools, eats less and loses weight.
Its digestive system is fragile. A slowing down or a stoppage of gut transit (fewer droppings, or none at all, an animal that stops eating and stays hunched up) is a serious situation to be taken seriously without delay.
The chinchilla tolerates heat very poorly: above about 25°C, it risks heatstroke (it pants, lies on its side, becomes limp). Never wet its very dense coat, as damp encourages skin fungi (ringworm). Under stress, it can also release a tuft of fur (“fur slip”): this is striking but harmless, and the fur grows back.
When to see a vet promptly it drools, eats less or loses weight; its droppings become scarcer, smaller or soft; an area of skin or fur is abnormal.
When to see a vet urgently it stops eating and no longer produces droppings (gut stasis), or it shows signs of heatstroke (panting, lying on its side, very listless).
The veterinarian's advice keep it cool (ideally below 25°C) and clean its coat only with a sand bath, never with water.
Key points in the chinchilla, a stoppage of feeding and droppings is always a serious warning sign. This information does not replace a consultation.