{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "chinchilla",
  "name": "Chinchilla",
  "scientificName": "Chinchilla lanigera",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "Chinchillas are small rodents from the high Andes, famed for the densest fur of any land mammal — up to 80 hairs per follicle. Wild populations are endangered from historic over-trapping; domestic chinchillas are popular pets that need dust baths, cool dry housing, and gentle handling.",
  "conservationStatus": "Endangered",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Rodentia",
    "family": "Chinchillidae",
    "genus": "Chinchilla"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 0.5,
    "lengthM": 0.3,
    "topSpeedKmh": 15,
    "lifespanYears": 15
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Chinchilla lanigera"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Herbivore — hay, chinchilla pellets, and limited treats"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "High-altitude rocky slopes of the Andes; domestic worldwide"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "10–15 years in captivity (shorter in the wild)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "400–600 g (14–21 oz)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Agile leaper; can jump 1.8 m vertically"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Endangered (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "High-altitude rocky slopes of the Andes in Chile; wild populations are fragmented and Endangered, while pets come from captive breeding.",
    "continents": [
      "South America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Chinchilla lanigera.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Chinchilla%20lanigera&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Chinchilla lanigera. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Chinchilla_lanigera/"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/chinchilla/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/chinchilla/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}