[7] The chinchilla is named after the Chincha people of the Andes, who once wore its dense, velvet-like fur and ate their meat.

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 species was headed for extinction.

Five years of fieldwork (published in 2007) in Jujuy Province, Argentina, failed to find a single specimen.

Populations in Chile were thought extinct by 1953, but the animal was found to inhabit an area in the Antofagasta Region in the late 1900s and early 2000s.

The animal may be extinct in Bolivia and Peru, though one specimen found (in a restaurant in Cerro de Pasco) may hail from a native population.

Chinchillas have a variety of defensive tactics, including spraying urine and releasing fur if bitten.

In the wild, chinchillas have been observed eating plant leaves, fruits, seeds, and small insects.

[10] In nature, chinchillas live in social groups that resemble colonies, but are properly called herds.

Due to this long pregnancy, chinchillas are born fully furred and with eyes open.

The color is usually very even, which makes it ideal for small garments or the lining of larger ones, though some large pieces can be made entirely from the fur.

[22] Pet chinchillas require easy access to food, water, and hiding places, where they can sleep undisturbed for extended periods of time.

[27] Convulsions are a symptom that can have many causes, including a brain problem such as hemorrhaging, a vitamin or dietary element deficiency in the diet, or some kind of nervous system injury.

[31] Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections are widely distributed in nature and can affect chinchillas like many other animals.

[34] Constipation in chinchillas is difficult to observe in groups because it may not be obvious that an animal is not contributing to the population's waste.

[36] Fur-chewing can sometimes be alleviated through changes in living environment, but is regarded by some experts to be passed genetically from parents to offspring.

[39] Chinchillas that live in communities are especially sensitive in their breeding seasons of February to March and August to September.