Exploring Chinchilla Breed & Types
Are you interested in adopting exotic pets? Chinchillas are considered a beautiful addition to your family. These rodents are very active, need easy maintenance, and bond well with their owners. A person interested in keeping them as pets must be aware of their varieties, and types.
They are considered a type of rodent belonging to the order of Cavimorpha, making them a member of guinea pigs, capybaras, and porcupines. Their rarity in the wild makes them an endangered species. These rodents show affection towards their owners by different means that are not similar to other animals. Because of their nocturnal behavior, they remain active at night while becoming sleepy during the day. There are two chinchilla breeds and many different types you should know before buying them as your pet. Let’s move forward and explore their color, varieties, and types.
Chinchilla Breeds And Types
There are two main types of these cute little rodents.
- Short-Tailed Chinchilla, which is also known as Chinchilla brevicaudata
- Long-Tailed Chinchilla, which is also known as Chinchilla lanigera
Short Tailed Chinchilla
These rodents are also known as Peruvian, royal, and Bolivian. They are included in the endangered species list and are from the Andes mountains of Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, and Peru.
- The length of these rodents is about 28-49 cm, and the weight is 38-50 ounces.
- They jump and climb with their shorter front legs and longer hind legs.
- The thicker shoulder and neck.is their main characteristic, along with a short tail.
- These short-tailed rodents live in colonies and feed on vegetation.
- They build underground burrows and are accustomed to cold climates.
- These social animals give birth to 1-2 babies per litter.
- These rodents are highly demanded in the fur industry. In addition, they are kept as pets, especially because of their luxurious and denser fur.
- Commercial hunting of these rodents started in 1829, but it finally became illegal in 1929. Therefore, they are included in the list of endangered species.
Long Tailed Chinchilla
The brownish, bluish, and pearl gray fur of these rodents makes them an attractive addition to the rodent family. Their coat is really dense, soft, and shiny, along with the hair with black tips. Because of their thick and dense fur, they become warm at higher altitudes.
- The physical appearance of these rodents includes a Broadhead, large black eyes, vertically slit Pupils, large outer Ears, and Vestigially Split Cheeks.
- The soles of their feet have soft pads and are leshy, which is also known as Pallipes.
- They have weaker claws and four toes on the forefeet that help them grasp.
- They have well-developed and more extensive hind limbs. Besides this, they walk on all four of their limbs.
- They have bushy tails and have a length of about 9-14 inches. The size of their tail is about 3-6 inches.
- These male rodents weigh about 1 pound, while their female counterparts weigh up to 1.76 pounds.
- The mountains and rocky areas of the Andes Mountains of Northern Chile are their natural habitat.
- They have a herbivorous nature depending upon leaves, grasses, seeds, lichen, eggs, and insects.
- They are social animals; therefore, in the wild, they live in colonies to minimize the risk of predators.
- They produce different sounds to express the chances of threats like chattering teeth and growling.
- They are monogamous and breed during the winter season. They produce 1-2 babies per litter and nurse their babies for 6-8 weeks.
Three Common Chinchilla Breeds
Below is a list of some of the common varieties of these little rodents that you should know before purchasing.
- White Mosaic Chinchilla
- Grand Chinchilla
- Soviet Chinchilla
Soviet: A type of these rodents found in the Northern Eurasian Empire. They have great demand because of their fancy fur. The average weight of these rodents ranges from 4.5-5 Kg. Besides this, they are being nurtured because of their meat and fur.
White Mosaic: The white mosaic is considered a result of mutation. The white breed of these rodents is a result of their lack of the required genes for pigmentation to their skin and fur. The white mosaic rodents’ unique appearance is because of darker patterns on their ears and fur. The different types of this breed involve White violet, white tan, white ebony, and TOV mosaic.
Grand: They are also known as the giant chinchilla rabbit, which is considered a hybrid that results from crossing Chinchilla and flemish giant. The average size of these adults is about 12-16 pounds. The popularity of these rodents is due to their denser fur, gray-silvery color, and black tipping. They are proven gentle pets but need ample space to roam and exercise.
Final Thoughts!
If you are a pet enthusiast, you should keep these cute little rodents as your furry companion. Various chinchilla breeds, and types are available for their sellers. Because of their different types and varieties, they become a center of attraction among pet lovers.
The unique characteristics of these long-tailed and short-tailed rodents make them suitable additions to your living space. Their three common varieties are white mosaic, Soviet, and grand chinchillas. You can keep them as your pet because they require minimum maintenance and become your friend quickly.
FAQS!
They were mainly hunted because of their soft and dense fur, which is why they were included in the endangered species list.
The estimated population of these rodents is 2,350.
They are adapted to their naturally excellent and arid habitat. These rodents’ dense and soft fur acts as insulation against extreme cold weather.
The short tails have smaller body sizes, shorter tails, and rounded ears.
