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[LYChinchillas]

Since I've started on social media with my chins, I have realized how many people have no idea what a chinchilla is, let alone any basic facts about them! I decided to create a simple post on my blog about the basics, for people to read and share with those that have the most basic chin questions.

What do you think? Does it cover all the bases? http://lychinchillas.com/2015/01/14/chinchilla-basics-101/

[GrayRodent]

That was a nice article. Thanks for sharing that.

Technically chinchillas are considered domestic animals because we have used them in the fur industry for a century. Most of our knowledge of them actually comes from their use in agriculture and science because they are not all that popular as pets. Legally they are not considered exotics which makes it easier to import and export them from our country. Although places like Australia won't let you bring one in. They are certainly exotic in other senses though.

Agricultural use of chinchillas is really the only way we will ever preserve them because pet breeders are unable to sustain the high numbers and turnaround required for proper selective breeding. The best stock always comes from the largest and most prestigious ranches. Commercial interest promotes funding for large scale research that is not possible with mere pet breeding as well.

Chinchillas are also used extensively as human ear analogs because their ear passages, anatomy, and range of hearing is very similar to that of humans. Their immunology has been deeply scrutinized and I would expect their genome would be a big area of scrutiny as well since they are used in testing different types of antibiotic treatments.

Of course our knowledge as pet owners primarily comes from the community of smaller chinchilla breeders and owners which is absolutely true but its origins come from far outside of the pet industry.

[LYChinchillas]

Very true, I use exotic as a term to describe their particularity in required care and environment - also that they are less known in the pet industry than the more typical pets and the majority of people don't understand much at all about them.

That's really interesting about the human ear analog and antibiotic testing, I couldn't have imagined that would be the case. Is that so in the states? It's really quite surprising.. will have to look into that more. Do you have any articles to share on that? 

[GrayRodent]

I don't have any on hand but I've seen a few scientific papers on a basic search engine search. I came across them while looking for information on chinchilla anatomy. Looks like their ears are more documented than other places, at least from what I've gathered. There's also a chinchilla genome project somewhere out there but it's been a while since I've actually searched for those things.

Here's one article that mentions a chinchilla model for otitis media in the development of an antibiotic treatment. I know there are several, some are mentioned in abstracts of papers I don't have access to.
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2004/0175383.html

[LYChinchillas]

So interesting! Definitely something to read up on.

[iSpi]

I will read the article you linked. I like browsing chinchilla forums and such in my free time.
I have nothing to contribute, but it seems like both of you know your fair share of chinchillas. I don't want to make a whole topic, and I assume this could be considered a "basic" question. Do either of you know if pet stores sell chinchillas more often at a certain time of year, or if chinchillas are just becoming an increasingly popular pet? In mid fall I saw a lot of chinchillas in a couple of local shelters, and I never remember pet stores always selling chinchillas. Maybe I'm only noticing now since I haven't really been a long time owner (about a year with my first chinchilla)?

[GrayRodent]

I know that a local petsmart said they would have chinchillas when it got cooler but they never got them in, at least to my knowledge. The preferred to sell guinea pigs. Another petsmart about 5 miles away seemed to sell them year round. The only other store I know that sells them also sells them year round.

Obtaining your chin from a pet store is a very controversial thing and it really depends on the store whether or not it's a good idea. But unless you have a relationship with the staff there that is in charge of the process there's know way to know.

Some stores care about their stock and are fairly good at maintaining a chinchilla but I think most do not, at least, from my cursory observations. The problem is that chinchillas typically obtained from a store are not going to be as tame as a hand raised chin from a breeder. They get weaned and maybe are hand raised going out, but if all they know is a small cage with no interaction for several months, it's not always possible to bring them back because they just want to be left alone. Chinchillas are still pretty wild and must be handled regularly.

If you have a breeder who is reputable and loves chinchillas chances are they will be open and honest and answer any questions you have. So you can know what its background is and even see its parents for yourself so you can verify the kit is healthy. A reputable breeder uses best practices for selective breeding so your chances of a obtaining a pet with a genetic problem are much less which is a big plus.