Lost in the Mist of Time
The origins of the chinchilla are unknown. We know that it is a rodent, and closely related to guinea pigs and other South American rodents. But scientists are unsure of how the chinchilla might have evolved. No other animal in the world has a coat like the chinchilla's. Whereas each human hair follicle grows just one hair, a chinchilla hair follicle grows from 50 to 100 hairs! With such a thick coat, chinchillas seem to be naturally immune to fleas and ticks.
The original habitat of the chinchilla included the Western side of the entire Andes Range. They could be found in parts of modern-day Chile, Argentina, Peru, and Bolivia. They may have once lived at all elevations, but now are only found in the barren, rocky peaks. There, the temperature seldom reaches above 70 degrees F, and the humidity is very low. Chinchillas in the wild eat grasses, roots, and whatever other vegetation they can find. Their water source is the dew that accumulates on rocks in the early morning. They live in colonies of 20 to 100 animals, making nests in the crevices between rocks. They are nocturnal, sleeping during the daytime heat, and foraging at night.
Discovery
When the Spanish conquistadores arrived in the 1600s, they discovered the chinchilla. They immediately saw its potential in the fur trade, and brought the pelts back to Spain. Even at that time, chinchilla coats were incredibly expensive. Every noble who could afford one wanted one. And the chinchilla was hunted and trapped nearly to extinction. In fact, there is one species, known as the King chinchilla, that was about twice the size of modern chinchillas, and that is now extinct. Because of its larger size, it was prized above other chinchillas, and was the first species killed off. We know of its existence only because coats made from its pelts still exist today. There is one stuffed chinchilla from this era on display in a German museum.
It is likely that some enterprising furriers did attempt to capture chinchillas for breeding. However, the temperatures at lower altitudes were too high for them, and no captured chinchilla ever survived. Until...
Chinchillas Come to North America
In 1923, an adventurer named M. F. Chapman was exploring South America, and rediscovered the chinchilla. He also saw the potential for breeding them in captivity and decided to try. By this time, the local governments had laws forbidding the capture of chinchillas. So Mr. Chapman received special permits to catch them. He set his traps and caught eleven live chinchillas. He recognized that the difference in weather conditions could be a problem, and brought his furry prizes down the mountains slowly, giving them more time to acclimate. When they reached sea level, they boarded a steam ship and set off for California. He had large amounts of ice shipped from the United States at great personal expense to help cool them during the long voyage. And when he finally arrived in California, he had twelve live chinchillas! All of his captured chinnies survived, and one female gave birth during the voyage.
Although Mr. Chapman brought his chinchillas to America for the fur industry, we have him to thank for this marvelous pet. As fur breeders culled their herds, they would often sell their "low quality" animals for pets.
Chinchillas Today
Chinchillas are now fairly common as pets. There are pet chinchilla owners in every US state and on five continents (all except Australia and Antarctica). Most major pet stores have at least the basic chinchilla needs stocked in their small animal section. Many pet stores even sell chinchillas.
Chinchillas are still raised and killed for the fur industry. I personally do not sell my chinchillas to anyone who will use them for the fur industry. My chinnies are my pets and show animals only.
Chinchillas also still live in the wild, although they are endangered. Like most endangered species, mankind is the reason for their near-demise. Today, there are chinchilla sanctuaries, where individual colonies are kept in the wild and monitored. Despite this protection, the chinchilla population has not increased. For more information about chinchillas in the wild, visit Save the Wild Chinchillas.