Long-tailed Chinchilla
Chinchilla lanigera
The adult long-tailed chinchilla lives among arid, rocky slopes of the Chilean Andes, sheltering in crevices and burrows by day. It is mainly crepuscular or nocturnal, moving with quick bounds and jumps while feeding on grasses, leaves, seeds, and tough desert vegetation. Its exceptionally dense fur helps retain warmth and can slip loose in patches when seized by a predator. Wild populations are endangered after heavy historical hunting for the fur trade.
- Type
- Swift
- Conservation status
- NE
Growth chain
- Long-tailed Chinchilla Kit
- Long-tailed Chinchilla