What Kind of Fur Does a Chinchilla Have?

While they may resemble rabbits, chinchillas are in fact small rodents. They are members of the order Rodentia and are closely related to gerbils, squirrels, mice, hamsters and guinea pigs. Although their natural habitat is the Andes Mountains of South America, chinchillas are now domesticated animals in the United States. One of the most prominent features of the chinchilla is its fur. Chinchillas are known for their luxurious, silky, thick fur coats. Over the years, fur manufacturers have sought chinchilla fur to make garments, and now chinchillas in the wild are almost extinct.

  1. Fur Trade

    • For centuries people have considered chinchilla fur a luxury due its extremely soft and smooth texture. The Incas of South America made blankets out of chinchilla skin and fur. When Spanish soldiers conquered the Incan empire, Europeans began to exploit chinchillas for their fur. Europeans exported significant quantities of chinchilla fur to Europe during the late 1700s and began to create fur coats and garments out of the rodent's soft fur. Although chinchillas used to live in parts of Chile, Bolivia, Argentina and Peru, centuries of exploitation leaves them mainly restricted to the Andes mountains of Chile.

    Fur Characteristics

    • Chinchillas can grow up to 12 inches in length and weigh from18 to 35 oz. Chinchillas' bodies are covered in ultrasoft, light fur that is one or more inches in length. They have more fur per square inch on their bodies than any other land animal. While they typically have thick, dense, blue-gray fur, they also can have brownish-gray fur with light black markings. A chinchilla's tail is bushy like a rabbit's tail or a squirrel's tail. The undersides of a chinchilla are covered in yellowish-white fur. You should never grab a chinchilla by the tip of its tail, by a limb or by the nape of its neck for you can harm it. If you handle a chinchilla improperly, you can ruin its coat by causing the chinchilla to lose its fur from stress or injury.

    Types

    • There are two main species of chinchillas: Chinchilla brevicaudata and Chinchilla lanigera. The two animals may look alike but there are minor differences between the two. The Chinchilla brevicaudata is heavily furred with a stockier body, shorter ears and a thicker neck. Its fur is often light gray tinged with yellow. The Chinchilla lanigera, on the other hand, is sleeker in appearance with a narrower neck, longer tail, pointier face and elongated ears. It has very silky fur that is typically medium to dark gray with bright bluish undertones. Domesticated chinchillas typically belong to the Chinchilla lanigera species.

    Grooming

    • Chinchillas are by nature clean animals and do not give off any detectable odor. A chinchilla's thick fur is so dense that it prevents lice and fleas from nesting in it. Chinchillas can remove moisture and excess natural oils from their fur by bathing in dust baths. The dust is a finely ground sand that you can purchase in pet shops. You may need to frequently comb a chinchilla with thick, cottony fur to prevent tangled hair mats. While chinchillas shed all year round, they are more prone to shed during the spring and summer.