Long-tailed chinchilla
| Long-tailed chinchilla | ||||||||||||
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Long-tailed chinchilla |
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| Chinchilla lanigera | ||||||||||||
| Bennett , 1829 |
The long-tailed chinchilla ( Chinchilla lanigera ) is a species of mammal from the chinchillas family (Chinchillidae).
features
Long-tailed chinchillas reach a head body length of 23 to 38 centimeters, plus a tail up to 15 centimeters long. At around 800 grams, the females are significantly heavier than the males, who only weigh around 500 grams. The silky fur is very dense and soft; it is colored blue-gray or brownish, usually each hair has a black tip. The bushy tail is covered with long, coarse hair on top. The head is broad, the ears are large, and the eyes are black. Both front and rear paws end in four toes.
From the second type of real chinchillas , the short-tailed chinchilla , it differs among other things in the name-giving longer tail and the larger ears.
distribution and habitat
Long-tailed chinchillas are endemic to Chile , where they inhabit the Andean regions in the northern part of the country. Their habitat are rocky mountainous countries, where they occur at heights of up to 4000 meters.
Way of life
These animals tend to be crepuscular or nocturnal, and during the day they withdraw into crevices and caves. They live together - at least earlier - in groups of up to 100 animals, the females are the dominant sex and are aggressive towards other females. It is often claimed that these animals are monogamous , but there is no evidence of this.
Long-tailed chinchillas are herbivores that ingest every type of vegetation available. When eating, they sit up straight and hold the food with their front paws.
Reproduction
The breeding season is between the months of May and November (for captured animals in the northern hemisphere, however, between November and May). During this period, the female usually gives birth to offspring twice. The gestation period is around 111 days and the litter size is one to six, usually two or three. The newborns are born hairy and with their eyes open; they are weaned at six to eight weeks. Sexual maturity occurs at around eight months. Life expectancy in the wild is around 10 years, but can be up to 20 years in human care.
Long-tailed chinchillas and humans
Long-tailed chinchillas were hunted for their fur even before the arrival of Europeans in South America, and this hunt has been carried out commercially since the 19th century. Around 1900, for example, 500,000 chinchilla furs were exported from Chile annually, which led to a collapse in populations. Although they are protected by law today, they are still poached today. Another threat is the destruction of their habitat through deforestation and mining. A survey in 1996 revealed a total of 42 colonies in the wild, and this number has since declined. The IUCN estimates that the total population in the wild has declined by over 90% in the last 15 years and lists the species as " critically endangered ". To protect the long-tailed chinchilla, the Reserva Nacional Las Chinchillas was set up in the Chilean Región de Coquimbo near the city of Illapel .
In contrast, they are widely used as fur and pet animals. Since the 1920s, they are in farms cultivated. Extensive breeding has resulted in a variety of coat color mutations over the past sixty years. The oldest mutation was a white animal, later followed by beige, black velvet, all around dark colored chinchillas (charcoal and ebony) as well as sapphire and violet.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
Web links
- Information on Animal Diversity Web
- Extensive resource on keeping chinchillas
- Chinchilla Lanigera in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2007. Posted by: L. Contreras, 1996. Retrieved on 16 3rd of 2008.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Información del Parque - Reserva Nacional Las Chinchillas. In: CONAF . Retrieved April 16, 2020 .