We've come across some interesting facts about chinchillas during our research. Here's a list of things that don't quite fit in with other pages on this site.
- Chinchilla fur is considered the softest in the world and is thirty times softer than human hair.
- Chinchillas must regularly bathe in dust or volcanic ash to remove oil and moisture that gathers in their thick fur.
- Chinchillas have the highest fur density of any land animal with more than 20,000 hairs per square cm. Their fur is so dense that skin parasites (such as fleas) cannot live on one lest they suffocate. Whereas humans grow one hair from each follicle, a chinchilla has more than fifty hairs from a single follicle.
- They are agile jumpers and can jump up to five feet above their head.
- Martha Stewart has 15 pet chinchillas.
- Chinchillas have no dander, which is the leading cause to pet related allergies.
Sources:
Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
Chintasia
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chinchillas have 75 hairs in one follical
Hi Emily,
Welcome to the chinchilla club! Just some things you should know. Chins, (their nickname), are really easy to raise if you follow some simple rules. First, they need a tall cage because chins like to climb. Inside their cage they should have things to play with that are safe for small animals to play with. Also, inside their cage they need chew blocks, a hay bin for timmothy hay, a food dish and a water bottle. You should use pine sawdust/chips in the cage. Although the cedar chips smell better, the oils are bad for chinchillas.
Chinchillas love treats. When giving treats to them, you should not give them too much at one time. Too many treats and make them sick, just like you get when you eat too much candy. I give mine dried fruit. They seem to love it. It's funny to watch them when I shake the fruit bag. They come running to the cage door like little bums. Watch giving them peanuts, the have a hard time digesting them and could cause them problems.
When it comes to taking care of Fritz, you need to change his cage about twice a week. His cage can become yucky if you don't. Who likes to live in yuck? Not me. Fritz needs to take a bath a few times a week. Chinchillas don't use water to get clean. They use lava dust to take the oils out of their fur. You can get the dust from petsmart. I have a tub that I put the dust in. I love to watch them roll a round in the dust.
Well, I hope this information helps to take good care of Fritz. If you need any help or have any questions, just email me at: Killiptis@hotmail.com (get permission first from an adult to email me)
Bob
i have one chinchilla,his name is Fritz he is named after a french male name.he likes raw noodles,walnuts,peanuts, and raisins. he was my christmas present i got him because my two hamsters died. their names were velma and the other on was daffney.