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CHINCHILLA
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Chinchilla lanigera
HOUSE NAME: Male "Iggy" Female "Gypsy"
HABITAT: A wide variety of habitat from forest, to mountain, semi-deserts, and brush lands of most of North America from Southern Canada through Central Mexico.
CONSERVATION STATUS: Domestic: Least Concern
Wild: Critically Endangered
FUN FACT: Living in the cold temps of high elevations, chinchillas avoid wet baths (licking or otherwise). Instead, they roll in silica sand (AKA chinchilla dust), a grey baby powder-like substance. It absorbs oils on the fur, and loosens dirt, thereby cleaning the coat without causing the chinchilla to become wet. Clean fur insulates better than dirty.
FIND ME IN THE ZOO:
*Chinchillas are education animal ambassadors, their habitat is not viewable to public as they require privacy when not on program.
Below: Male "Iggy" Above: Female "Gypsy"
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