Welcome to Chinchilla Chronicles where you will find some basic information regarding chinchillas that has been crossed referenced to two of the most up-to-date books on the market - An Essential Guide to Owning A Chinchilla & Chinchilla A-Z Health & Sickness Bible.
For those of you who do not know much about chinchillas, they are part of the rodent family and originate from the Andes Mountain Range, which is situated along the western side of South America.
They live in ranges from 3,000 feet to 15,000 feet above sea level and in the wild their main diet is very bland mainly feeding off roots, berries, seeds, grass and hay.
Their enemies were snakes, hawks, owls, mountain lions, foxes and the pelt trade!
In the 1500’s Spanish explorers captured as many chinchillas as possible for their soft fur and to keep them warm and for something to eat. They tried to export chinchillas to Spain in hope they could breed a continual herd of chinchillas to sell to the pelt trade but this failed as they all died in transportation (chinchilla’s do not travel well!)
It was in 1918 that a man called Mathias F. Chapman who was a mining engineer saw his first chinchilla. He fell in love with the tiny balls of fluff and wanted to transport some to America for breeding. He applied to the Chilean government for permission, as Chapman knew that since 1920’s chinchillas had been placed on an endangered species list. After much persistence the Chilean government gave permission for Chapman to catch chinchillas and export them to mainland America. Chapmen with his 23 men managed to catch 11 chinchillas and it is from these 11 chinchillas that we have pet chinchillas today.
The above is a basic outline of where chinchillas originate from and how they became pets as we know today. The full story of their journey and their original habitat can be read in An Essential Guide to Owning a Chinchilla.
Chinchillas are generally robust little animals but if not looked after properly, they too can become ill. Chinchillas generally hide sickness very well and sometimes it is not until the latter stages of a disease that you will notice symptoms. The Chinchilla A-Z Health & Sickness Bible lists over 100 different illnesses and the symptoms to look out for. It is an invalueable guide for anyone who owns chinchillas to refer to at times of need. The ebook also includes over 200 fantastic photos applicable to the text which will help you spot the early signs of an illness/disease.
NOTE: After profits and on the yearly anniversary of this website, some proceeds of the Chinchilla A-Z Health & Sickness Bible will be donated to Chinchilla Rescue Centres of the authors choice, therefore please help this venture and contribute to the safety and wellbeing of chinchillas in need. A list will be compiled yearly (in the month of November) of the Rescue Centres the author has choosen to give to, together with feedback from the receiving party to confirm this commitment has been followed.
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