The Wild ChinchillaThe wild chinchillas originally came from high in the Andes Mountains in the South American countries of Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. Chins come in two different species; the Chinchilla Lanigera (the long-tailed) and Chinchilla Brevicaudata (the short-tailed). There was once a King Chinchilla, which was much larger and had a much softer coat than the others, but it is now extint. Close relatives of the chinchilla are guinea pigs and the mountain dwelling Viscachas. Wild chinchillas are more of a brownish-grey and are slightly smaller than their domestic counter parts. Wild chins are an endangered species and live extremely high in the mountain, so they are difficult to find or see.
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Discovery of the Chinchilla
A chin captured by Mathias F. Chapman*
The chinchilla is a native to the Andes Mountains of South America. Being nocturnal, the chinchilla forages for food at night; eating what little vegetation they can find along with a few insects. During the day, they sleep in the safety of rocky crevices. For safety, the animals lived in large groups or colonies. Native South American people, known as “Chinchas”, used the chinchillas as pets, a food source, and for clothing. They were the first people to domesticate the chinchilla.
In 1524, Spanish explorers discovered the Chinchas and their small rodent. The natives showed the Spaniards how they lived and how they used the chinchilla. The Spanish named the animal "Chinchilla", literally meaning “Little Chincha”. The Spanish took a few of the velvet soft pelts home to Europe and the start of the chinchilla fur trade began.The trade was slow and expensive in its early years because of the distance required to get the coat. The demand for chinchilla pelts did not pick up until the late 1800’s. By 1901, over 300,000 pelts had been shipped to New York. The demand and trapping soon started to show as millions of the animals were being trapped and shipped to foreign countries. The chinchillas' numbers quickly declined and the chinchilla was at risk of becoming extint. It was then that the South American government stepped in to save their native rodent. However, making the export of pelts illegal only encouraged smuggling. The government set up new laws and these were strongly enforced. The chinchillas were now protected and could safely rebuild their population.
In 1524, Spanish explorers discovered the Chinchas and their small rodent. The natives showed the Spaniards how they lived and how they used the chinchilla. The Spanish named the animal "Chinchilla", literally meaning “Little Chincha”. The Spanish took a few of the velvet soft pelts home to Europe and the start of the chinchilla fur trade began.The trade was slow and expensive in its early years because of the distance required to get the coat. The demand for chinchilla pelts did not pick up until the late 1800’s. By 1901, over 300,000 pelts had been shipped to New York. The demand and trapping soon started to show as millions of the animals were being trapped and shipped to foreign countries. The chinchillas' numbers quickly declined and the chinchilla was at risk of becoming extint. It was then that the South American government stepped in to save their native rodent. However, making the export of pelts illegal only encouraged smuggling. The government set up new laws and these were strongly enforced. The chinchillas were now protected and could safely rebuild their population.
Chinchillas Come to America
Mathias Chapman & one of his chins*
An American coal miner, named Mathias F. Chapman, was very interested in raising the chinchillas and bringing them to America. Chapman got permission from the South American government to capture a few of the animals and take them with him. After three years of trapping, Chapman and his team succeeded in capturing only eleven quality animals: three females and eight males. In order to help his chinchillas adapt, Chapman and his team gradually lowered his animals down the mountain over the course of a year. Being adjusted to living in freezing weather and 12,000 feet above sea level, caution had to be taken to ensure the chinchillas survived. If lowered too quickly they could have gone into shock and died.
When Chapman got all of his chinchillas safely down the mountain, he made arrangements for passage on a Japanese freighter. On the voyage to California, he kept his furry passengers cool by surrounding the cages with ice blocks. If over heated, the chinchillas would die. At one point during the trip, they become to warm and shed all of their fur. All of the chinchillas were able to survived the trip, but one. Even more surprising, one female gave birth to two kits during the voyage. Upon arrival in the states, Chapman experimented and tested different types of feed and housing until an ideal diet and housing was discovered. His first chinchilla ranch was established in Los Angeles, California. Chapman himself even had a "pet" chin he named Pete that would ride on his shoulder. Another of his captured chins, named Old Hoff, lived another 22 years from the time he was caught. The first pet chinchillas did not come about until the fur market started to decline. An over abundance of animals and “unfit” animals were sold as pets for a profit instead of just being “thrown away”.
When Chapman got all of his chinchillas safely down the mountain, he made arrangements for passage on a Japanese freighter. On the voyage to California, he kept his furry passengers cool by surrounding the cages with ice blocks. If over heated, the chinchillas would die. At one point during the trip, they become to warm and shed all of their fur. All of the chinchillas were able to survived the trip, but one. Even more surprising, one female gave birth to two kits during the voyage. Upon arrival in the states, Chapman experimented and tested different types of feed and housing until an ideal diet and housing was discovered. His first chinchilla ranch was established in Los Angeles, California. Chapman himself even had a "pet" chin he named Pete that would ride on his shoulder. Another of his captured chins, named Old Hoff, lived another 22 years from the time he was caught. The first pet chinchillas did not come about until the fur market started to decline. An over abundance of animals and “unfit” animals were sold as pets for a profit instead of just being “thrown away”.