One of the 2 chinchillas on WAnimals
Mammals · Rodentia · Chinchillidae
Short-tailed Chinchilla
Chinchilla chinchilla
It faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. See full glossary
The short-tailed chinchilla, also known in Spanish as chinchilla peruana, chinchilla del altiplano, chinchilla cordillerana, chinchilla de las cordilleras and chinchilla real, is a species of hystricomorph rodent of the family Chinchillidae. It lives on the Andean altiplano, from southern Peru and western Bolivia to north-eastern Chile and northern Argentina. Because its fur is in high demand, indiscriminate hunting caused the population to fall dramatically. The IUCN estimated a 90% reduction of the population in just 3 generations (15 years), placing it among the threatened species.
Weight
500 g – 800 g
Size
30 cm – 38 cm
Lifespan
10 years
Diet
Herbivore
Feeds mainly on plants.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Colony
Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.
Sighting difficulty
Hard
Fun facts
- GeneralIt has the densest fur of any land mammal: over 50 hairs to a follicle.
- conservaciónIt lives in colonies on high rocky ground in the Andes, and was hunted almost to extinction in the wild for its dense fur.
- It has the densest fur of any land mammal: dozens of hairs sprout from each follicle, which is why it cannot get wet without risking fungal infections, so it bathes in volcanic dust.
- Every domestic chinchilla in the world descends from a handful of animals caught in Chile in the 1920s, while the wild populations were all but disappearing.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Rocky ground and scrub of the Andes (3,000-5,000 m)
- Sexual maturity
- 8 months
- Gestation / incubation
- 4 months
- Litter / clutch size
- 2
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinchilla_chinchilla
Where to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Short-tailed Chinchilla — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Southern Mountain Viscacha
Lagidium viscacia
Long-tailed Chinchilla
Chinchilla lanigera
EndangeredAndean Cat
Leopardus jacobita
Least ConcernGuanaco
Lama guanicoe
Least ConcernCulpeo
Lycalopex culpaeus
Humboldt's Hog-nosed Skunk
Conepatus humboldtii
How to help
The short-tailed chinchilla is classified as endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 4 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about short-tailed chinchilla.
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