What is a
Chinchilla?
By
Tracy DuBuque
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What is a chinchilla?
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What do chinchillas eat?
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Where do chinchillas live?
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Keeping Chinchillas as a Pet
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Fun Chinchilla Facts
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Sources
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Chinchillas have big, black eyes and a big, bushy tail. They have four toes on each foot and skinny claws on each toe. Chinchillas can come in several different colors.
Chinchillas are omnivores. They eat both plants and meat.
Chinchillas enjoy lots of different foods. Some of their favorites include dried papaya, Cheerios, Timothy hay, nuts, and seeds.
Chinchillas can live in the wild or as pets. When chinchillas are in the wild, they live in the mountains of a country called Chile. Their dense fur coats come in handy because it can be very cold where they live. Chinchillas live in large groups called "herds."
When chinchillas live as pets, they live in tiered or leveled, cages. They enjoy living with friends and need plenty of time outside of their cages to run and play.
Chinchillas can be fun pets but they require a lot of care. Chinchillas need lots of clean, fresh water and food pellets that can be bought at the pet store. They can't take regular baths and need dust baths once or twice a week to stay clean.
Chinchillas can live up to twenty years.
Chinchilla babies are born with their eyes open, covered in fur, and are called kits.
Chinchillas are smarter than rabbits.
Chinchillas can not get wet because their fur is so thick the water gets trapped against their skin.
Chinchillas are nocturnal so, they sleep during the day and are awake at night.
