Chinchillas

Chinchillas are creatures that are currently documented as under the genus Chinchilla. This part of the article also covers fictional variations and representations of chinchillas.
It looks like they used to considered rabbits, as Carl Linnaeus describes a domesticated rabbit from Chile the size of a small rat with fine, short fur.https://archive.org/details/animalkingdomorz00linn/page/280/mode/2up?ref=ol&view=theater If this is true, then in the 1700s at least their name used to be the Chilean Hare. It was called Lepus minimus, which reminds me of Minun from Pokemon. 
Chinchillas were eaten for their meat in South America in the past. They are currently a popular form of "exotic" pet.
== References ==
Category:Chinchillas
Category:Hares