Chinchillas are indigenous to the high, arid regions of the Andes Mountains in South America. They were first introduced to the United States in 1923 by a mining engineer by the name of M. F. Chapman. He caught eleven chinchillas and shipped them to the United States where they gained popularity and numbers as they descended.

They are members of the rodent family, but unlike most rodents they have a long gestation period of 111 days. The kits are born with full coats and their eyes open. The life expectancy is up to 18 - 20 years. They are very social creatures and are happier with a cage mate than on their own.  Being that Chinchillas are a colder climate animal and cannot tolerate high heat, they are most comfortable being kept in a draft free place with a constant temperature between 60 to 79 degrees Although the wild Chinchilla (referred to as a standard) is grey,  due to selective breeding,  pet chinchillas are now available in a multitude of colours. 

Color Mutations

Here you will find a listing of some colour categories of mutations.

Please note: "Heterozygous" means that the chinchilla is a carrier of more than one type of gene but that only one of the genes, the dominant one, is being expressed. This type of chinchilla can produce offspring however, that look very different from it because the recessive genes could be passed in breeding.  "Homozygous", on the other hand, possess two dominant genes or two recessive genes that express a color trait. Standard grays have two recessive gray genes and homozygous beige possess two dominant beige genes.

Standard Gray: It is closest to the original wild species with fur ranging from very light gray to a dark charcoal gray. Standards as a rule have white underbellies, black eyes, black paws and ears. A standard gray with somewhat blackish

underside is an ebony carrier.

Black Velvet: They are characterized by very dark heads that gradually turn to gray toward the underside. They have black eyes and ears, and white undersides. They have black stripes on their paws.

Heterozygous Beige: They have a cream colored coat, ranging in hue from light cream to a darker beige color. They have red eyes, pink ears, white paws and undersides.

Sapphires: They have pink ears and noses, black eyes and a blue hued coat.

TOV Beige: They are offspring of black velvets and beige and have a light or dark beige tone with a deeper brown head that gradually gets lighter toward the underbelly. They have reddish eyes, pink ears and a white underside.

Mosaic: White chinchillas that do not possess even coloring but instead have patches of color not uniformly distributed are called mosaics.

Heterozygous Ebony / Charcoal: Characterized by dark, black coat on top with a gradual lightening of the coat toward the stomach, usually showing some gray here. The stomach is dark however, usually a blackish, gray mix. They have dark eyes, ears and paws.

Violet: Named for their light gray, purplish coat and a white underside.

White (also known as Wilson White): Their coat is pure white and they produce offspring that can be either white, mosaic (mixed) or silver (white with gradual gray tips). Whites have black eyes and gray ears, with white paws and underside

Silver: Wilson whites that have enough gray hairs present in an even fashion about the head and tail are called silver.

Pink White: Instead of dark ears and eyes, pink whites have pink ears and red eyes. If it has patches of beige, it is known as a beige/white mosaic or Starlight.

Homozygous Beige:

They look very similar to hetero beige but are generally a lighter cream color. Their eyes are not as deep a red as with the heterozygous beige and there is more of a white iris visible in the eye.

Homozygous Ebony: This mutation is jet black all over, including the stomach.

Diet and care

Water: A source of fresh water should be available for chinchillas at all times. A bottle is recommended rather that a bowl, as it is much more sanitary. A bottle that hangs from the side of the cage is the best method to provide water.

Pellets: Chinchilla pellets are the staple food of chinchillas, which provides the nutrition needed for healthy pets. Although other pet foods, such as rabbit or guinea pig food may be made of the same ingredients, it is important to use only chinchilla food as it has been formulated specifically for these animals