Chinchillas are animals of the order Rodentia and the genus
Chinchilla. They are members of the rat and rodent family and have the ground
squirrel as their closest living relative. Native to South America
and are named after the Chincha people of the Andes.
Able jumpers and climbers, chinchillas live high up in the
South American mountains and live in burrows they create themselves or crevices
in the mountain's rock face. They have a lot of natural predators including
eagles, hawks, snakes, skunks, dogs and cats. In the wild, chinchillas eat
nuts, fruits, insects and seeds and in captivity they are usually fed with
straw and hay.
In appearance, the chinchilla is a cross between a large rat
and a rabbit. They have large ears and bushy tails as well as powerful limbs
and soft thick fur. The practice of hunting chinchillas for their fur has been
around since the early 16th century.
Chinchillas exist in both the wild and domestic setting. They
are raised for fur, meat and kept as pets.