Where does the long-tailed chinchilla live?
The long-tailed chinchilla lives wild in the Andes of Chile. It hides in burrows or rock crevices, in a harsh climate with cold nights. It was once found from Peru down to central Chile, but today it survives only in a few colonies, for example in the Las Chinchillas National Reserve, near Illapel. These colonies form a network whose links keep the species viable.
What does the long-tailed chinchilla eat?
The chinchilla has a mostly vegetarian, opportunistic diet. In Chile, it is particularly fond of a plant that is itself endangered, Balsamocarpon brevifolium. It needs a lot of fibre. Mostly active at twilight, it lives in groups and eats sitting on its hind legs, holding its food in its front paws like a squirrel. In the wild, gestation lasts 111 days and each litter has 1 or 2 young.
Is the long-tailed chinchilla endangered?
Yes: the IUCN lists it as Endangered, and it has the second-highest conservation priority among Chilean mammals. It was hunted for its very soft, dense fur, until it was almost wiped out in the 19th century. It should not be confused with the domestic chinchilla, a farm-bred hybrid that is not covered by this protection status.
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