Latest update April 7th, 2026 12:30 AM
Latest News
The long-tailed chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera)
The long-tailed chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera), also called the Chilean, coastal, common chinchilla, or lesser chinchilla, is one of two species of rodents from the genus Chinchilla, the other species being Chinchilla chinchilla.
Long tailed Chinchilla
Chinchilla lanigera is smaller (wild animals have body lengths up to 260 mm (10 in), has more rounded ears, (45 mm (1.8 in) in length), and longer tails than Chinchilla chinchilla; its tail is usually about a third the size of its body (up to 130 mm (5.1 in) compared to 100 mm (3.9 in) in C. chinchilla). The number of caudal vertebrae is 23 in C. lanigera, and 20 in C. chinchilla). Average males weigh 369–493 g (13.0–17.4 oz) (mean: 412 g (14.5 oz) and females weigh 379–450 g (13.4–15.9 oz) (mean: 422 g (14.9 oz)). Domesticated animals are larger than wild ones and more sexually dimorphic, with the female weighing up to 800 g (28 oz) and males up to 600 g (21 oz).
The word lanigera translates into “bearing a woollen coat”, yet chinchillas do not have a woollen coat, but instead one consisting of hair. Their hair is 2–4 cm (0.79–1.57 in) long, with grey, white, and black bands; it is silky, extremely soft, and firmly adhered to the skin. Up to 75 hairs, 5–11 mm (0.20–0.43 in) in diameter, emerge together from a single hair follicle. Vibrissae (whiskers) are abundant, strong, long (100–130 mm (3.9–5.1 in), and emerge from single follicles. The general colour of upper parts is bluish or silvery grey; the under parts are yellowish-white. The tail has long, coarse, grey and black hairs on its dorsal surface, 30–40 mm (1.2–1.6 in) long near the body, 50–60 mm (2.0–2.4 in) long near the tip, and form a bristly tuft that exceeds vertebrae by 50 mm (2.0 in)
In the wild, they breed between October and December, which are the spring months in the Southern Hemisphere.
Three different types of C. lanigera are commonly recognized: la plata, costina and raton.
The la plata type has better-developed musculature and heavier bone structure than the other two types. The typical la Plata looks more roundish or compact, with a short, wide head, a large distance from one ear to another, and a relatively straight dorsal line. The shoulders are often as wide as the chest and rump. The ears are short and nearly round.
The costina type is weaker in musculature and bone structure, with the most distinctive feature being the longer hind legs. The fore legs are shorter, placed closer together, and the shoulders are narrower. The vertebral column is more arched, the neck line is sometimes very deep, forming a slight hump on the back of the animal. When viewed directly from the front, the head is V-shaped, the nose is pointed, and the distance between the ears is rather wide. The ears are long and positioned at an angle of about 45 degrees.
The raton type is reminiscent to the la plata type in its body structure. The nose is pointed as in the Costina, and the ears are positioned very close together and rather horizontal; it is distinctively smaller, on average.
(Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Discover more from Kaieteur News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.