Chinchilla chinchilla

Short-tailed chinchillas have a body length of 12 to 13 inches and a tail length of 5 to 6 inches. Females are typically larger than males. They may be distinguished from C. lanigera by its smaller ears and overall larger size. In addition, Chinchilla brevicaudata has 20 tail vertebrae compared to 30 in C. lanigera . The soft, dense fur of these chinchillas is due to the fact that each follicle has approximately 60 fine hairs growing from it. The coloration varies but typically consists of a bluish, pearl or gray upper coat with black tips on the hairs and a yellowish white underside. The tail is long and covered with coarse hairs. The thick fur helps protect chinchillas from cold temperatures as well as prevent water evaporation. The hairs are loosely attached, so the animals may escape from predators, like owls or foxes, leaving them with a mouthful of hair (Roder-Thiede, 1993). Their feet are highly adapted for movement on rocks. They have weak hind claws and pads on their feet to prevent slipping.

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