The short-tailed chinchilla (Chinchilla chinchilla) is a small rodent part of the Chinchillidae family and is classified as an endangered species by the IUCN. Originating in South America, the chinchilla is part of the genus Chinchilla, which is separated into two species: the long-tailed chinchilla and the short-tailed chinchilla. Although the short-tailed chinchilla used to be found in Chile, Argentina, Peru, and Bolivia, the geographical distribution of the species has since shifted. The species remains extant in the Andes mountains of northern Chile, but small populations have been found in southern Bolivia.
The short-tailed chinchilla is characterized by its grayish-blue fur which is extremely dense and plush. The short-tailed chinchilla has a short furry tail, which distinguishes it from the long-tailed chinchilla. Compared to C.lanigera, C.chinchilla has smaller, more rounded ears and is slightly smaller in body size.
Chinchillas have been exploited by humans for centuries. Commercial hunting of short-tailed chinchillas for fur began in 1828 in Chile, leading to an increased demand in Europe and the United States. As the demand for chinchilla pelts rose, the species number declined, leading to the species' apparent extinction in 1917. In 1929 a ban against hunting chinchillas was enacted, but not strictly enforced until 1983. Despite the species' rediscovery in the wild in 1953, the population of short-tailed chinchillas has continued to decline and has been categorized as endangered. Numerous threats to short-tailed chinchillas exist, including illegal hunting, habitat loss, firewood harvesting, and mining. In the last few decades, chinchillas have become increasingly popular as exotic pets, which has led to an increase in hunting and trapping.
Appearance and characteristics The short-tailed chinchilla is generally smaller than the long-tailed chinchilla and can be distinguished by comparing general body length, head size, tail length, and ear. It has a tail measuring up to . It has a broad head with vestigial cheek pouches.
The short-tailed chinchilla has a body size measuring between long and weighing around . Before maturity, the short-tailed chinchilla weighs anywhere between . Short-tailed chinchillas which have been bred to be pets are typically larger, measuring almost twice the size of those in the wild. In both wild and domestic short-tailed chinchillas, females are larger than males, but this difference in size is more apparent in domesticated chinchillas. The short-tailed chinchilla is sexually dimorphic in size but otherwise appear the same.
The short-tailed chinchilla is covered in a thick coat of extremely fine hair. The fur is very soft and plush due to the high number of hairs in a single follicle. 50 hairs can be held in a follicle, as compared to human hair which typically has one hair per follicle. Chinchilla fur is extremely valuable and is considered the softest in the world. Fur color can vary by individual, but colors range from violet, sapphire, blue-grey, beige, beige, brown, ebony, gray, white, cream, and pearl with each hair having a black tip. Typically, the underbelly of the species is a cream or off-white color shade.
The tail is usually bushy and has coarser hair. The dense coat of chinchillas allows the species to survive in the cold temperatures of their habitat in the Andes mountains. Since the coat is extremely thick, water is prevented from evaporating, which allows chinchillas to maintain body warmth. Additionally, the fur is so dense, that fleas and parasites cannot penetrate through the hair and will often die of suffocation. However, chinchillas cannot pant or sweat and with a dense fur coat, they are prone to overheating, especially in the care of humans. Their natural cooling mechanism is pumping blood through their ears, which have finer hair than the rest of their bodies.
Chinchillas are extremely well-adapted to their environment, with short front legs and long, powerful hind legs that aid in climbing and jumping in the mountains. The short-tailed chinchilla can jump across crevices wide and have large feet with foot pads and weak claws which allows them to move over rock crevices without slipping. The short-tailed chinchilla has extremely long vibrissae, in comparison to their body size, measuring around . The short-tailed chinchilla has large eyes with vertical slit pupils, which allows it to have a clear, wide view at night. Another prominent feature are the large ears which helps it to hear faint sounds and listen for predators.
Behavior
Although not much is known about short-tailed chinchilla behavior due to the shy nature of the species, they're known to be extremely intelligent creatures. In nature, they are timid and stay hidden throughout the day to avoid predators. Chinchillas are crepuscular, awakening at dawn and dusk to find food. They navigate and forage through the darkness using their vibrissae. At dawn, chinchillas sunbathe and groom themselves by taking dust baths. In the wild, chinchillas living in the Andes Mountains will roll in volcanic ash to coat their fur and prevent matting due to oils from their skin. Owners of pet chinchillas often provide them with dust or sand baths to help distribute oils, clear any dirt, and keep their fur soft.
Social interactions Chinchillas are social creatures, normally living in colonies that may range from several to a hundred individuals, in groups called herds.
Reproduction
Short-tailed chinchillas have one mating partner and are considered monogamous. Due to females being slightly larger than males, female chinchillas often dominate males and will mate twice a year. The breeding season is November to May in the Northern Hemisphere. They have gestation periods lasting for 128 days.
Females may have up to two litters a year, but three is possible, but unusual. Litter size ranges from one to six offspring, called kits, with two being the average. Newborns chinchillas are capable of eating plant food and are weaned at 6 weeks old. Short-tailed chinchillas reach sexual maturity relatively quickly at an average age of 8 months, but it has been observed to occur at as young as 5.5 months with pet chinchillas or those in captivity. In the wild, short-tailed chinchillas typically have a lifespan of 8–10 years, as compared to in captivity, where they may survive for as long as 15–20 years.
An interesting behavior has been observed with females, with other lactating females sometimes feeding the young of others if they're unable to produce milk. Unlike many rodent species, father chinchillas also take on a caring and nurturing role, taking care of offspring when the mother is collecting food.
Defense mechanisms Although they're not usually aggressive, pet chinchillas can develop a nipping tendency if handled improperly. If nipped or bitten by a predator, chinchillas can release tufts of hair, in order to escape. This leaves the predator with a mouth full of fur and is called a "fur slip". A fur slip happens when a chinchilla releases tufts of its hair to escape its predator. With pet chinchillas, fur slip occurs while owners are holding their pets tightly or if the chinchilla is stressed.
Vocal sounds In order to communicate, short-tailed chinchillas vocalize and have specific calls. There are ten distinct sounds emitted by chinchillas and each varies based on the context of the situation. Chinchillas will make a whistle-like sound, growl, or chatter their teeth to warn and alarm others of danger. Short-tailed chinchillas have also been known to emit hiss-and-spit noises if provoked and a cooing sound while mating.
Habitat
Short-tailed chinchillas primarily live in self-dug burrows or crevices of rocky areas with shrubs and grasses nearby, usually mountainous grasslands. Typically, their habitat has a sparse cover of thorny shrubs, cacti, and patches of succulents. Chinchillas live in arid climates at high altitudes with temperature dropping at night. Due to their environmental surroundings, chinchillas have adapted to expend less energy by having a low metabolic rate. Chinchillas are nocturnal creatures, often foraging for food at dusk and dawn.
Distribution Historically, short-tailed chinchillas lived in the Andes mountains and were native to Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina. Although there has been speculation that chinchillas have become regionally extinct in Bolivia and Peru. In Bolivia, the chinchillas ranged from the La Paz, Oruro, and Potosi regions with the last wild specimens being captured by near Sabaya, and Caranga. However, a small population was recently discovered in Bolivia near the Laguna Colorada basin. Today, the only recorded sightings of short-tailed chinchillas has been in the Andes Mountains of northern Chile, where they remain endemic. In Chile, known chinchilla populations have been seen near the towns of El Laco, Morro Negro which are both near the Llullaillaco volcano in the Antofagasta region, as well as near the Nevado Tres Cruces National Park in the Atacama region.
Range Their range extends through the relatively barren areas of the Andes Mountains at an elevation of 9,800 to over 16,000 feet (3,000 to 5,000 meters).
Diet
The diet for chinchillas is heavily plant-based, mainly grasses and shrubs found on the sides of mountains. Short-tailed chinchillas are herbivores and mainly feed on high-fiber vegetation specifically foliage, leaves, shrubs, seeds, nuts, grasses, herbs, flowers, and grains. Short-tailed chinchillas also compete with other species for food, mainly grazers like goats and cattle. Sometimes, they will feed on insects as part of their diet. However, their diet changes with the season, depending on what is available, mainly the perennial Chilean needle-grass. Short-tailed chinchillas acquire their drinking water through morning dew or from the flesh of various plants such as cacti. While eating, the short-tailed chinchilla sits upright and grasps its food in its front feet. Chinchillas are prone to overeating when an excess of food is available, so pet owners must be careful not to overfeed. Chinchillas also gnaw on whatever they can find to file down their constantly growing teeth.
History/Spread to U.S. Chinchillas were hunted and kept as pets by the ancient Incas. In the 1700s, commercial hunting of chinchillas began in Chile. Short-tailed chinchillas were first brought to the U.S. in the 1920s by a mining engineer named Mathias F. Chapman. Chapman loved chinchillas and received permission from the government of Chile to import 12 individuals of the species to the U.S. He made sure to allow the chinchillas to assimilate into their new environment. Over the course of a year, he brought the chinchillas to a lower altitude and fed them food from their natural habitat.
Population threats
Predators Chinchillas have natural predators in the wild, on the ground and in the sky. Birds, such as owls and hawks may swoop down and snatch chinchillas. On the ground, snakes, wild cats, and foxes hunt chinchillas as prey. In the three recognized populations, the Andean fox is the main predator. However, chinchillas are agile and can run up to 15 mph, so they can escape predators.
Habitat destruction