Long-tailed Chinchilla
Chinchilla lanigera
Conservation Status
EndangeredMammalia · Rodentia · Chinchillidae
About
The long-tailed chinchilla, also called the Chilean, coastal, common, or lesser chinchilla, is one of two species of rodent from the genus Chinchilla: the other species being C. chinchilla. Both species are endangered in the wild after historically being hunted for their soft hair coats. Domestic breeds of chinchilla are believed to descend from specimens of C. lanigera. Domestic chinchillas come in three types: la plata, costina, and raton.
Fun Fact
Long-tailed chinchillas have the densest fur of any land mammal — about 20,000 hairs per square centimetre — which is why they must take dust baths instead of water baths, as wet fur becomes impossibly matted.
Quick Facts
Habitat
Rocky mountain slopes
Diet
Herbivore
Lifespan
10-15 years
Threats
- Historical Fur Trade Extirpation
- Habitat Loss and Degradation
- Predation by Introduced Species