Chinchillas (Laboratory) - Pathology

Introduction

The chinchilla is a type of hystricomorph rodent and there are two types; the Chinchilla langier, or long-tail and the Chinchilla chinchilla which has a short tail. Chinchilla are found in the wild at altitudes of between 9,000-12,000 ft within the Andes in South America. Chinchilla have been kept in captivity since 1923 when a small number of animals were brought to North America.

General Behavioural Characteristics

Unless regularly handled, adult chinchilla can be very aggressive. This is especially common in females and therefore these should be kept in separate cages. If weanlings or young chinchillas are introduced to another female it is likely that the adult will kill the young.

Most chinchilla require a sand-bathing tray for their grooming processes called dusting.