Common name : Chin
Scientific name : Chinchilla chinchilla, Chinchilla lanigera
Family : Chinchillidae
Native to : South American Andes
Interesting fact : Named after the Chincha people of the Andes, who donned themselves in thick fur which resembled a rich velvet lining.
Conservation status : Endangered
They live in herds in burrows or crevices, at an altitude of over 4000 metres. The young are born after a gestation of 111 days, the longest for any rodent. They are in demand because of their fur, and are therefore hunted, resulting in a 90% loss in population over the past decade and a half.
