long-tailed chinchilla

The long-tailed chinchilla is a South American rodent known for its exceptionally soft fur. These animals, once abundant, were hunted nearly to extinction and are now rare in the wild, though they are raised commercially and kept as pets. Captive chinchillas are descendants of a small group brought to the United States in 1927.

Chinchillas have dense, silky fur, typically bluish to brownish-gray, with lighter undersides. They inhabit arid, rocky areas in the Andes Mountains, living in colonies and hiding in rock crevices during the day, emerging at night to feed on vegetation. They typically have two litters per year, with two to three young per litter. Both wild species, the long-tailed (C. laniger) and short-tailed (C. brevicaudata), are legally protected, but poaching and habitat loss remain threats.1