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Fun Facts about Chinchillas

chinchilla

Chinchilla

chinchilla laniger
  • Chinchillas are very agile animals and can jump up to five feet in the air!
  • Chinchillas have open-rooted teeth, which means they continue to grow throughout their lives. Because of this, make sure to provide plenty of chew toys for your pet.
  • A chinchilla's fur is considered the softest in the world: 30 times softer than human hair! Chinchillas also have 50 or more hairs per follicle as opposed to humans, who only have one.
  • Dust baths are used for chinchillas to remove any oil or moisture from their thick fur; this will also help keep their fur soft. You should not bathe a chinchilla in water as this may cause them to lose their fur.
  • Caecotrophy is the process used by a chinchilla to digest its food twice.
  • Red blood cells in chinchillas can hold more oxygen than other rodents. This is due to their natural living conditions at high altitudes.
  • "Fur slip" is known as the chinchilla's natural defense against predators. This allows the chinchilla to release large patches of fur, leaving their would-be predator with a lump of fur.
  • Chinchillas can communicate with each other using barking, chirping and grunting noises along with squeals.
  • When eating, chinchillas tend to sit on their haunches and use their front paws to hold food.
  • Baby chinchillas are called kits.

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