Results near Scotch Plains, New Jersey ·
  1. Copilot Answer
    DomainEukaryota
    KingdomAnimalia
    PhylumChordata
    Species

    The two living species of chinchilla are Chinchilla chinchilla (formerly known as Chinchilla brevicaudata) and Chinchilla lanigera. C. chinchilla has a shorter tail, a thicker neck and shoulders, and shorter ears than C… See more

    Distribution and habitat

    Chinchillas formerly occupied the coastal regions, hills, and mountains of Chile, Peru, Argentina, and Bolivia. Overexploitation caused the downturn of these populations and, as early as 1914, one scientist claimed that the sp… See more

    Conservation

    Both species of chinchilla are currently listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to a severe population loss approximated at a 90% global population loss since 2001. The severe pop… See more

    Relationship with humans

    Chinchilla fur trade on an international level goes back to the 16th century. Their fur is popular due to its extremely soft feel, which is caused by the sprouting of 25 hairs (on average) from each hair follicle. The color is usually ver… See more