Chinchilla is a rodent from the chinchilla family. They appeared in Russia for more than half a century ago. Their homeland is the Andes. The name was given to them by one of the South American tribes that hunted them, made clothes and made various accessories out of skins. Due to their mass extermination by humans, they acquired the character of a disappearing species and received their salvation from complete extinction only due to domestication. In nature live colonies, which number from a few to a hundred individuals. Females are more aggressive than males. They are mostly awake at night.
They sleep during the day, and as soon as it gets darker they go out of their holes in search of food. They are quite well oriented on the terrain in the dark, and this is helped by long vibrows. In addition, they have large eyes with a vertically placed pupil, which allows them to see well not only at dusk but also during the day. They have two incisors on each jaw, which are covered with enamel on the outside and are as strong as steel. Unlike other rodents, their incisors have the ability to grow throughout their lives. The diet of these rodents is very poor in variety: grass, branches of bushes, leaves. Animals use plant dew for drinking. Since 2008, these rodents have been listed in the Red Book, where they are in the highest risk group. In 2001, 12 species of this animal were found, which had been declared extinct until then.
Domestication
These charming rodents are not aggressive, on the contrary, very generous, careful to keep their purity. To the conditions which are different from natural, adapt rather quickly. For a long time, these rodents were purposefully exterminated. In 1918 in Chile he worked as a mountain engineer Matthias F. Chapman. For a long time, he had been trying to get these animals out of the country. Finally, in 1923, he was given the opportunity to bring 11 animals out of the country. In the same year, 12 rodents (1 dead and 2 born) arrived safely in the port of San Pedro. From this period onwards, the domestication of the animal began.
The animals are characterized by their cleanliness and good-naturedness. They get used to captivity quickly but do not feel any special attachment to the owner.
Features of the chinchilla content:
- In nature, the animal bathes in volcanic ash. You can't bathe it in water, it makes the fur spoil. Nor is ordinary quartz sand suitable for this purpose, as it can damage the skin. The composition, close to volcanic ash, can be purchased in the pet shop; - The cage for the maintenance should not be tight, chinchilla loves space, used to move, jump, so the usual place to keep other animals here is not suitable;
- You can't touch animals too often, you can't pull them, you can't iron them. One of the properties of their fur is its hygroscopic properties, so it will simply go bad with frequent touching;
- The food should be special, intended for them (it is possible to get in pet shops), and the food for other rodents will not approach;
- The place to keep should have optimal microclimatic parameters because there is a risk of heatstroke for the animals;
- It is not advisable to walk the animals outside;
- Grass collected on the street, and especially on the roadside, poses a major threat in terms of poisoning. Rodents can simply die;
- Because the chinchilla has not been adequately studied, it is not advisable to vaccinate them with conventional vaccines for other animals, as no one knows what the response to the vaccine will be;
- Rodents should not come into contact with cats or dogs;
- To mate, a female should be placed in a cage with the male, not the other way around.
Nutrition
The question of chinchilla feeding is one of the most important issues in the home. The composition of the feed for them should be balanced and complete. In nature, they mainly feed on plants with a short life span and plants with a relatively short growing season. This determines the maximum preservation of nutrients in such plants. The animal's body is used to dry plant food.
Chinchillas prefer dry granular feed for rodent nutrition. It needs about 20 grams of this food every day. It should be said that the animal is very legible in the food and prefers to eat first what tastes better, so do not put a cup of fresh food in it, it is necessary that it eat everything completely. It's better to underfeed a chinchilla than to overfeed it. A healthy animal can eat any food. Naturally, if you have a choice, it will eat more delicious food in the first place. The main task here is to teach the rodent to eat properly and it is quite possible.