Chinchilla
Chinchillas | |
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Chinchilla lanigera at the Wrocław Zoo in Poland
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Chinchillidae |
Subfamily: | Chinchillinae
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Genus: | Chinchilla Bennett, 1829 |
Type species | |
Chinchilla lanigera[3] Bennett, 1829
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Species[1][2] | |
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Range of C. lanigera and C. chinchilla.
C. chinchilla
C. lanigera
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Chinchillas are either of two species (
The chinchilla has the densest fur of all mammals that live on land, with around 20,000 hairs per square centimeter and 50 hairs growing from each
Species
The two living species of chinchilla are
Distribution and habitat
Chinchillas formerly occupied the coastal regions, hills, and mountains of Chile, Peru, Argentina, and Bolivia. Overexploitation caused the downturn of these populations and, as early as 1914, one scientist claimed that the species was headed for extinction. Five years of fieldwork (published in 2007) in Jujuy Province, Argentina, failed to find a single specimen. Populations in Chile were thought extinct by 1953, but the animal was found to inhabit an area in the Antofagasta Region in the late 1900s and early 2000s. The animal may be extinct in Bolivia and Peru, though one specimen found (in a restaurant in Cerro de Pasco) may hail from a native population.[6][11]
In their native habitats, chinchillas live in burrows or crevices in rocks. They are agile jumpers and can jump up to 1.8 m (6 ft).
Conservation
Both species of chinchilla are currently listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to a severe population loss approximated at a 90% global population loss over the last 15 years.[1] The severe population decline has been caused by chinchilla hunting by humans. The long tailed-species was listed on the IUCN Red List as “Very rare and believed to be decreasing in numbers” in 1965. From 1982 to 1996, both species were listed as Indeterminate. In 2006, the long-tailed species was listed as "Vulnerable" while the short-tailed species was listed as "Critically Endangered". By 2008, both were listed as "Critically Endangered", and in 2016 they were reclassified as "Endangered" due to limited recovery in some areas.[16][17]
Relationship with humans
Fur industry
Chinchilla fur trade on an international level goes back to the 16th century. Their fur is popular due to its extremely soft feel, which is caused by the sprouting of 25 hairs (on average) from each hair follicle. The color is usually very even, which makes it ideal for small garments or the lining of larger ones, though some large pieces can be made entirely from the fur. A single, full-length coat made from chinchilla fur may require as many as 150 pelts, as chinchillas are relatively small.[18] Their use for fur led to the extinction of one species, and put serious pressure on the other two. Though it is illegal to hunt wild chinchillas, they are now on the verge of becoming extinct because of continued poaching. Domesticated chinchillas are still bred for fur.[19]
As pets
The domestic chinchilla is descended from
Chinchillas are popular pets, though they require extensive exercise and dental care,[20] due to their teeth continually growing throughout their life span, and since they lack the ability to sweat, they require a temperature-controlled environment.[21]
The animals instinctively clean their fur by taking dust baths, in which they roll around in special dust made of fine pumice, a few times a week; they do not bathe in water. Their thick fur resists parasites, such as fleas, and reduces loose dander.[22]
Pet chinchillas require easy access to food, water, and hiding places, where they can sleep undisturbed for extended periods of time. Chinchillas are typically highly social creatures, so owners should interact often with their pets. They also have sensitive hearing and are easily startled by loud, unexpected noises.[23]
In scientific research
Chinchillas have been used in research since the 1950s. Since the 1970s, the prime interest in chinchillas by researchers is their
Veterinary medicine
Fractures
Chinchillas live active lives and can recover well from minor physical injury.[26] Fractures may be problematic, because chinchillas sit on their hind legs and eat with their front paws, so many types of injuries will disturb their natural eating behavior.[26]
Convulsions
Chinchilla breeders sometimes report seeing their animals have convulsions. Typically this happens only irregularly and then only for a few seconds, and not more than a few minutes at the most.
Infectious diseases
Listeriosis is not a typical chinchilla disease, but in group housing conditions it can spread as a digestive tract disease in a community.[29] Pasteurella can be contracted from food and then transmitted among a group of chinchillas.[30] Symptoms include apathy, digestive disorder, and fever.[31] Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections are widely distributed in nature and can affect chinchillas like many other animals.[32] They can cause wide deaths in populations of chinchillas and spontaneous abortion in pregnant chinchillas.[32]
Respiratory tract infections can be caused by many pathogens, but, regardless of cause, usually result in difficult breathing and a nasal discharge.[33] Young chinchilla are more likely to be affected and these infections are unlikely to result in an epidemic, even if transmissible.[33]
Gastrointestinal disorders are observed as either constipation or diarrhea.[33] These are almost always the result of a problem with the diet, but if the diet is optimal, they could be the symptom of an infectious disease.[34] Constipation in chinchillas is difficult to observe in groups because it may not be obvious than an animal is not contributing to the population's waste.[34] If it is identified, mild treatments include feeding paraffin to soften the feces.[34]
Mental health
Chinchillas are easily distressed, and when they are unhappy, they may exhibit physical symptoms.[35] A common indicator of stress in pet chinchillas is fur-chewing (or fur barbering), an excessive grooming behavior that results in uneven patches of fur; chinchillas may chew their own fur or that of their cagemates.[36] Fur-chewing can sometimes be alleviated through changes in living environment, but is regarded by some experts to be passed genetically from parents to offspring.[37] Usually, fur-chewing itself is a benign symptom that does not cause physiological distress.[38]
Sick chinchillas may stop eating if they are stressed, which can make them even weaker.[39] Chinchillas that live in communities are especially sensitive in their breeding seasons of February to March and August to September.[39] Chinchillas are social animals and are likely to be upset to have their breeding mate changed in breeding season.[39] They are known to be disturbed by a change of diet in these times.[39]
Pharmaceutical treatment
Chinchillas may be treated with chloramphenicol, neomycin, or spectinomycin for digestive problems.[39] Sulfonamides dissolved in drinking water may be used.[40] Colistin can be an effective antibiotic.[40]
References
- ^ .
- ^ ISBN 9780801882210
- OCLC 62265494.
- ^ "Chinchilla". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2022-09-05.
- ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 232.
- ^ ISBN 9780226169576.
- ^ "Chinchilla History and Care Recommendations". MedVet. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ^ "What Is A Chinchilla?". Davidson Chinchillas. Archived from the original on 2012-05-27. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
- doi:10.1016/0006-3207(95)00116-6. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2019-07-10. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
- ^ a b "Chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera)". Comparative Mammalian Brain Collections. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
- ^ "Chinchilla Cages". 2023-08-10. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
- ^ "Keeping Chinchillas as Pets". RSPCA. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "Chinchilla Habitat". Chinchilla Chronicles. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
- ^ a b "Chinchilla". The Maryland Zoo. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ "The Chinchilla". Chinchilla Lexicon. 2003-05-01. Archived from the original on 2008-02-04. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
- ^ "Short-tailed chinchilla". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
- ^ "Long-tailed Chinchilla". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
- ISBN 0-8160-3229-7
- ^ "Chinchillas Endangered Species Handbook". Endangeredspecieshandbook.org. Archived from the original on 2009-12-08. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
- ^ "Teeth". Homepage.ntlworld.com. Archived from the original on May 3, 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
- ^ "Heat Stroke". Chin-chillas.com. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
- ^ "Chinchillas: The keystone cops of rodents!". Petstation.com. 1995-03-01. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
- ^ "Caring for Pet Chinchillas". RSPCA. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ISBN 9780123809209.
- ^ "In Scientific Research". University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
- ^ a b Kraft 1987, p. 91.
- ^ a b c d Kraft 1987, p. 93.
- ^ Kraft 1987, p. 94.
- ^ Kraft 1987, p. 98.
- ^ Kraft 1987, p. 99.
- ^ Kraft 1987, p. 100.
- ^ a b Kraft 1987, p. 101.
- ^ a b c Kraft 1987, p. 103.
- ^ a b c Kraft 1987, p. 104.
- ^ Kraft 1987, p. 111.
- ^ "Fur Chewing". www.cuddlebugchinchillas.com. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
- ^ "List of Common Health Problems in Chinchillas". chinchillatube.com. 2022-06-20. Retrieved 2022-06-22.
- ^ "4 Things Chinchilla Owners Need to Know About Fur Chewing - Choosing the Right Vet for Your Pet". blackknightkennels.com. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
- ^ a b c d e Kraft 1987, p. 112.
- ^ a b Kraft 1987, p. 113.
Sources
- Kraft, Helmut (1987). Diseases of Chinchillas. Translated by U. Erich Friese. Neptune City, NJ: T.F.H. ISBN 978-0866224925.
- Saunders, Richard. "Veterinary Care Of Chinchillas." In Practice (0263841X) 31.6 (2009): 282–291. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.
External links
- Media related to Chinchillas at Wikimedia Commons
- Data related to Chinchilla at Wikispecies