Chinchilla

Question 0

Class

Answer 0

Mammilia

Question 1

Names

Answer 1

Lucky and Charm

Question 2

Gender

Answer 2

Both male

Question 3

Range

Answer 3

Chinchillas are found in the Andes Mountains in Northern Chille.

Question 4

Habitat

Answer 4

Relatively barren areas in the Andes Mountains, at elevations from 9,800 to 16,400 feet.

Question 5

Diet

Answer 5

Any vegetation available to them.

Question 6

Predators

Answer 6

Chinchillas are preyed upon by felines, canines, and snakes, but they are predator to none.

Question 7

How high can Chinchillas jump?

Answer 7

Chinchillas can jump 4-5 feet straight up in the air.

Question 8

How many hairs per follicle do Chinchillas have?

Answer 8

60 hairs per follicle.

Question 9

How many Chinchillas does it take to make one long coat?

Answer 9

125

Question 10

At what temperature can Chinchillas start suffering from heat stroke?

Answer 10

25 degrees C or 80 degrees F.

Question 11

History

Answer 11

Charm was given to us, but lucky was found under a car with burns so his tail had to be removed.

Question 12

What do we feed our chinchillas?

Answer 12

Pellets and alfalfa hay

Question 13

How high can they jump?

Answer 13

4-6 feet

Question 14

Do chinchillas live in groups?

Answer 14

Yes they live in colonies called herds

Question 15

What are some of their defense tactics?

Answer 15

They can spray urine and can release fir if they feel threatened

Question 16

How big are their herds?

Answer 16

Anywhere from 14-100

Question 17

How big are their litters?

Answer 17

About two

Question 18

How are chinchillas born?

Answer 18

Fully furred and with eyes open because they have a very long gestation period.

Question 19

Are the nocturnal or diurnal?

Answer 19

Nocturnal

Question 20

What are the whiskers used for?

Answer 20

They have underdeveloped eyes, so their whiskers grow very long and can help them see/feel their surroundings.

Question 21

What do they use their tails for?

Answer 21

For balance while jumping and climbing

Question 22

What are baby chinchillas called?

Answer 22

Kits

Question 23

When did chinchilla fir become popular?

Answer 23

The 1700s

Question 24

When were they introduced into the US?

Answer 24

1923 11 chinchillas were brought to the US for breeding

Question 25

Is the female or male more dominant?

Answer 25

Female

Question 26

What type of breeding so they have?

Answer 26

Females mate with one male for life, but the male can mate with many females.

Question 27

How do they eat?

Answer 27

They hold it in their front paws and nibble it.

Question 28

Do they make good pets?

Answer 28

Yes, but not for small children because they are hyper active and high-strung

Question 29

What is interesting about their blood?

Answer 29

Because they have adapted to live in higher altitude, their blood has thickened with extra red blood cells to carry more oxygen

Question 30

How many species of chinchillas are there?

Answer 30

Two. The short and long tailed

Question 31

What hearing range do they have?

Answer 31

They have a similar heating range to ours, so they can’t hear things that we can’t, but their ears are much larger so they are more sensitive than ours.

Question 32

How do they sleep?

Answer 32

They can sleep in pretty much any position.

Question 33

Why do they take dust baths?

Answer 33

To remove any oil or moisture from their fur

Question 34

How do chinchilla communicate?

Answer 34

With barks, chirps, and grunts, along with squeals

Question 35

About how many chinchilla are left on the wild?

Answer 35

It is estimated that there about 10,000 chinchillas left in the wild