Earlier reports of monogamy probably erroneous. Gives birth to two or three exceedingly precocial young weighing about 35 g. each. Lactation lasts between six and eight weeks. Both males and females become fertile at about eight months of age. Life span is 10 years in the wild, twice that in captivity.
Dense fur indicates the depth of cold at the altitudes they inhabit.
This fur has led to their extirpation. Feet adept at jumping, clinging and climbing over rocks. As late as 1900 an estimated 500,000 skins were being exported annually from Chile. Shortly thereafter, however, chinchillas became rare and the skin price went higher. It is the most valuable fur of any in the world, considering its size and weight.