Skip to main content

Short-tailed Chinchilla

(Image Source)
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Rodentia
Family : Chinchillidae
Genus : Chinchilla 
Species : chinchilla

Length : 12-20in (30-50cm)
Weight : 400-800g

IUCN Status : Critically Endangered

You might just recognize today's animal, because they've become quite popular as pets in recent years. Did you know though, that both Short-Tailed and Long-Tailed Chinchillas are critically endangered in the wild? In the past they were hunted extensively for their pelts and for the pet trade, but now captive breeding has helped to alleviate some of the stress on the wild populations. Hunting was also made illegal during the early 20th century. Unfortunately, major damage has been done, with the species being extinct in certain areas.

Short-Tailed Chinchillas are medium sized rodents native to the Andes Mountains of South America. They live in colonies that can number up to a hundred individuals, and are most active at dusk and dawn. Short-Tailed Chinchillas are herbivores and will feed off of whatever vegetation is available to them.

Short-Tailed Chinchillas can live as long as ten years in the wild, and they reach sexual maturity at around 8 months. Females have a remarkably long gestation period for a small mammal, and are pregnant for about 110 days. Typically 2-3 young are born at a time, and two litters are produced each year.

Many captive Chinchillas are believed to be a cross of the two wild species, and reintroduction into the wild has been unsuccessful thus far. Short-Tailed Chinchillas were highly prized because of their larger size and extremely dense fur. 50-100 fine hairs can grow from each of their hair follicles, as opposed to just one in humans. Chinchillas are still bred for the fur industry, but it is illegal to take pelts from wild animals.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a...
59 comments
Read more

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!
18 comments
Read more

Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws! Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km)  from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be! While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long! Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills. IUCN Status :  Not Listed ...
Post a Comment
Read more