Paws For This Week’s Animal Facts: The Most (chin)Chill(a) Animal Ever

Imagine getting home from a long day at work, the mall, a sports game, and jumping into a big tub of……dust. YEP. Dust. Sounds sparkling clean to me. Well, if you are the mammal with the densest fur, that's exactly what you are doing.

If you didn't get it from the title, this week's animal facts are the one and only chinchilla! Known for their soft, dense fur, chinchillas have stolen the hearts of many as exotic pets. But, did you know that chinchillas are native to South America? In the wild they are social, curious animals who travel in packs of a hundred. They are often confused for hamsters or guinea pigs when domesticated, but chinchillas are a very special type of rodent. From the start to the end of their lives, chinchillas have completely different habits than what we think of a "normal" rodent. Keep reading to find them out!

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I would pay big big bucks to be walking around and suddenly see a herd of 100 chinchillas walking toward me. That would look like a huge walking gray mass OR the softest blanket to ever exist floating closely to the ground.
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This is interesting and completely defies most wild vs. captive animal norms. But then again, you will soon see chinchillas do that in many aspects of their existence. Chinchillas kept as pets honestly have to have a great life (as long as they have a partner). Being pet and fed all day?!?! Sounds like life.
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