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Chinchilla habitat in the Andes mountains of Chile. Chinchillas formerly occupied the coastal regions, hills, and mountains of Chile, Peru, Argentina, and Bolivia. Overexploitation caused the downturn of these populations and, as early as 1914, one scientist claimed that the species was headed for extinction.
The forefeet have four toes while the hind feet have four small-clawed toes in Lagidium and Chinchilla but three large-clawed toes in Lagostomus, a digging species. Their dental formula is 1.0.1.3 1.0.1.3 and their incisors grow continually throughout their lives.
The short-tailed chinchilla (Chinchilla chinchilla) is a small rodent part of the Chinchillidae family and is classified as an endangered species by the IUCN. Originating in South America , the chinchilla is part of the genus Chinchilla , which is separated into two species: the long-tailed chinchilla and the short-tailed chinchilla.
In addition to the chinchillas, other small mammals (mainly rodents), two fox species and felines like the Puma inhabit the reserve and surrounding hills. Actually only about half of the wild chinchillas are located within the reserve boundaries. The other half live on private and communally owned lands.
A young wild Chilean chinchilla (2006) A domesticated chinchilla Chinchilla lanigera is smaller—wild animals have body lengths up to 260 mm (10 in)—has more rounded ears—45 mm (1.8 in) in length)—and a longer tail than C. chinchilla; its tail is usually about a third the size of its body—up to 130 mm (5.1 in) compared to 100 mm (3.9 in) in C. chinchilla.
A. bennettii has an extensive range in Chile on the western slopes of the Andes where it is found at altitudes up to about 2,000 m (6,600 ft). The habitat is being degraded by conversion to agricultural land and by mining, but this chinchilla rat is present in several protected areas and any downward trend in populations is slow, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has ...
It is an herbivorous species and is found near water that offers better vegetation than the drier regions within its habitat. L. viscacia inhabits rocky mountain areas, as well as rock outcrops in steppe habitat. It is restricted to sparsely vegetated areas from 2,500 to 5,100 m above sea level.
The Sierra del Tontal chinchilla rat is a smallish, rat-like animal, with a head-body length of about 16 cm (6.3 in), a tail about 10 cm (3.9 in) long, and an average adult body weight of 174 g (6.1 oz).