Stats

Lifespan

10-20 yrs

Size

Small

Diet

Herbivore

Activity

Crepuscular

Social

Colony

Biome

Mountain scrub

Range

South America

Movement

Hopping

Breeding

Live Birth

Defense

Speed

Status

Rare

About

Chinchillas are small rodents native to the Andes Mountains in South America. They live in colonies called herds at high elevations up to 4,270 meters (14,000 feet).

Life cycle

1. 1.
   newborn pup

   A blind, hairless pup nurses in the nest and is unable to regulate its own warmth.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   A weaned juvenile is fully furred, leaves the nest, and begins foraging on solid food.
3. 3.
   adult

   Fully grown and self-sufficient.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

Family

Chinchillidae

Genus

Chinchilla