Chinchilla Facts
A chinchilla is a small rodent from the Andes of South America with the densest fur of any land mammal alive.
- Class
- Mammal
- Scientific name
- Chinchilla
About the chinchilla
Two species make up the genus: Chinchilla chinchilla and Chinchilla lanigera. These rodents are active around dawn and dusk and live in colonies called herds at heights up to 4,270 m (14,000 ft). Their old range took in parts of Peru, Bolivia and Chile, yet wild colonies are now known only in Chile. Viscachas are their relatives in the family Chinchillidae, and the chinchilla rat is another relative.
Their fur is remarkable, about 20,000 hairs packed into each square centimeter, with 50 hairs sprouting from each follicle. The animal takes its name from the Andean Chincha people, who used to wear its soft fur and ate its meat. Hunting for that fur made chinchillas rare before the 19th century was over. Most chinchillas used for clothing today come from farms.
Did you know?
- Pet chinchillas descend from Chinchilla lanigera.
- Chinchillas are sometimes considered a type of pocket pet.
- Chinchillas belong to the rodent group Caviomorpha.
Questions about the chinchilla
Where do chinchillas live in the wild?
Wild colonies are known only in Chile today, at high elevations in the Andes.
Why is chinchilla fur so soft?
It is the densest fur of any land mammal, with about 20,000 hairs per square centimeter.
Sources
- Wikidata Q192930, checked October 8, 2026
- Wikipedia: Chinchilla, checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.