In What Ways Are Chinchillas Important to Our Environment?

Environmental Impact

• The chinchilla has minimal impact on the environment, although its dwindling numbers have placed it on the endangered species list. Chinchilla eat vegetation and sometimes insects, but they don't do much to help control the populations of pests. Foxes prey on wild chinchilla, but the loss of chinchilla in the wild hasn't had a measurable effect on the wild fox population. The wild chinchilla is so rare that it has little quantitative impact on the environment.

Economic Impact

• The chinchilla has had a definitive impact on the economic environment. Chinchilla fur is one of the highest priced pelts on the market today. As these creatures are small, it could take 400 chinchilla pelts to make one fur coat. Due to their rarity in the wild, the price for chinchilla fur is extremely high, placing consumer goods that use chinchilla fur squarely in the luxury market. In addition to being valued for its rarity, the fur is not durable, which adds to the price tag.

Chinchilla Fur

• The fur for luxury goods comes strictly from farm-raised chinchilla, allowing the treatment of the animals to be monitored. Female chinchilla are typically larger than males, and adults can grow to be 12 to 13 inches long. A chinchilla's tail can be 5 to 6 inches in length. The coats are soft, with each follicle containing around 60 fine hairs. The fur colors ranges from gray with black tips to pearl or blue tinged.

Chinchilla Facts

• The female chinchilla has been found to dominate the male chinchilla. Offspring are born with fur. The population of wild chinchilla is now protected by endangered species laws. Wild chinchilla can live from eight to 10 years. Most chinchilla are now farm raised and can live 15 to 20 years in captivity. The chinchilla is a nocturnal creature that may appear at dusk and dawn for sun exposure.