The chinchilla originates from South America primarily in the provinces of Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, and Chile.  Due to intense hunting pressure chinchillas can now only be found in the dry higher altitudes of the Andes Mountains.

 They are classified in the following way:

 Mammalia (Mammals) - order = Rodentia (Rodents) - family = Chinchillidae

 Typically a chinchilla weighs between 600g and 800g, with females generally being larger and heavier than males.  They are crepuscular by nature (active at dusk and dawn) although captive animals will adapt a more flexible routine. 

 Chinchillas reach puberty at about 4-8 months on average and are seasonally polyoestrus from about November to May, with heat cycles anywhere from 25 - 40 days and an individual heat lasting about 3-4 days.  The average litter size is 2, but can range from 1-6 kits.  The young are born precocious (fully formed with eyes open).  They also have a post-partum oestrus, which means that they can conceive again within 12 hours of giving birth, probably another adaptation to living in a harsh environment.

They appear to eat a wide variety of plants that can be found at altitude in the Andes, making the most of seasonal fruits and seeds, and using their dexterity and intelligence to find food that may be relatively inaccessible to other animals.

These charming creatures can live into their 20's in captivity although early teens is more usual. 

They were first kept in captivity in the 1920's, and primarily raised for pelting, but their popularity as pets has increased overwhelmingly since those early days.