Wild populations of Chilean chinchillas, as of 1996, occurred in Aucó (31°38’S, 71°06’W), near Illapel, IV Región, Chile, in Reserva Nacional Las Chinchillas and in La Higuera, Chile, about 100 km (62 mi) north of Coquimbo (29°33’S, 71°04’W).

Vibrissae (whiskers) are abundant, strong, and long—100–130 mm (3.9–5.1 in)—and emerge from single follicles.

[9] The general color of their upper parts is bluish or silvery gray; the underparts are yellowish-white.

[10] Three different types of domestic chinchilla are commonly recognized: la plata, costina, and raton.

The typical la plata looks more roundish or compact, with a short, wide head, a large distance from one ear to another, and a relatively straight dorsal line.

The costina type is weaker in musculature and bone structure, with the most distinctive feature being its longer hind legs.

The vertebral column is more arched; the neck line is sometimes very deep, forming a slight hump on the back of the animal.

When viewed directly from the front, the head is V-shaped, the nose is pointed, and the distance between the ears is rather large.

Chinchillas live in burrows or rock crevices in the Andes of Northern Chile at elevations of about 3,000 to 5,000 m (9,800 to 16,400 ft).

[12] The climate in the wild chinchillas' native habitat is rather harsh, with daytime summer temperatures climbing up to 30 °C (86 °F) in the shade and dropping to 7 °C (45 °F) at night (even below the freezing point in winter).

[7] In the wild, they breed seasonally between October and December, the months of spring in the Southern Hemisphere.

They should be provided clean and filtered water contained in a bottle equipped with a sipper tube daily.

They use hind limbs to sit and use forelimbs to grab the food and put them in their mouth.

Chinchillas require a dust bath at least twice a week in fine volcanic ash.