Quick answer
Key facts about chinchilla — size, diet, habitat, and conservation in one place.
Extraordinary fur
Chinchilla fur is so dense that fleas and parasites struggle to penetrate it. Native people and later fur traders valued pelts so highly that wild chinchillas were trapped nearly to extinction by the early 1900s. Today international trade in wild chinchilla fur is restricted.
Dust baths and grooming
Instead of water, chinchillas clean themselves in fine volcanic dust that absorbs oil and dirt from the coat. Pet chinchillas need regular dust baths and must never be bathed in water, which can cause fungal problems in their dense fur.
Wild conservation
Chinchilla lanigera is Endangered in the wild, surviving in fragmented populations in Chile. Habitat loss, drought, and historic trapping reduced numbers to a few thousand. Captive breeding supplies the pet trade and conservation programmes.
Pet care essentials
Chinchillas need spacious multi-level cages, temperatures below 25 °C, unlimited hay, and companionship or daily interaction. They are crepuscular, chew constantly to wear teeth, and can shed fur when grabbed — a defence called fur slip.