Longevity: 8-15 years
Weight: 400-500g in male, 450-800g in female
Habitat:
Behaviour:
The chinchilla is a nocturnal animal, it sleeps all day and begins to come out at dusk. It is a social animal, so it is best to have several chinchillas. Be careful, two males together could fight. It is preferable to put together a male and one or more females.
Handling:
Don't grab your chinchilla by the scruff of the neck or the tip of the tail, as it can shed in patches. It is best to hold it with one hand at shoulder level and the second under the croup.
Reproduction:
In chinchillas, the sexual breeding season takes place from November to May. Chinchillas reach sexual maturity at 9 months for males and 4-5 months for females. Chinchillas are not very prolific: the gestation period is long (111 days on average) and they produce only 2 to 3 young per litter. The young are precocial: they are born with hair and their eyes open and are autonomous very quickly. It is therefore advisable to secure the cage because they can hurt themselves by climbing the bars. Pups can start eating solid food at around 2 weeks of age and weaning occurs at 6 weeks of age!
Feed:
Chinchillas are strict herbivores. Their teeth are in continuous growth, so they must be provided with a diet rich in fiber to avoid the appearance of dental pathologies: