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Chinchilla Factoids |
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Origin |
Andes mountains |
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Sexual Differences |
Not obvious at first glance |
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Temperature |
Below 80o. Air conditioning helpful. |
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Climber |
Wants to climb (or leap) to different levels |
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Attitude |
Alert, inquisitive, very active, jumpers |
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Schedule |
More active at night. Sleeps during day. |
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Exercise |
Take out of cage daily. Add a large wheel. |
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Substrate |
No cedar chips |
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Security |
Needs a hide box |
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Strong Chewers |
Needs wood and a pumice block for teeth |
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Foods |
Chinchilla pellets (use untippable bowl) |
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Supplements |
Dried alfalfa and timothy |
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Treats |
Raisins, dried bananas, nuts |
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Water |
Use a well protected water bottle |
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Chinchilla Dust |
An absolute must |
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Housing |
Sturdy wire best (holds up to chewing) |
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Cleaning Schedule |
Weekly suffices. Their droppings are dry. |
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Breeding Age |
At 3 to 5 months. Eight months better. |
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Gestation Period |
111 days |
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Brood Size |
1 to 6 kits. Usually 2. |
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Keep with mom |
At least six weeks |
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Breeding Comments |
Avoid whites w/whites and blacks w/blacks |