### animal | vertebrate | mammal | rodent:

Chinchilla
* Many chinchillas are bred commercially for their fur.
* Most chinchillas are very timid and shy
  - belong to families
  - eat plants
  - enter juvenile stages
* Most chinchillas have diets
  - dry eyes
  - ears
  - habits
  - necks
  - normal temperature
  - short limbs
  - tails
  - teeth
* Most chinchillas live for years
  - in environments
  - retain weight
* Most chinchillas sit on hind legs
* Some chinchillas can develop health problems due to an over-growth of molars.
* Some chinchillas eat hay
  - rough hay
  - grow throughout life
* Some chinchillas have chins
  - defense mechanisms
  - diarrhea
  - follicles
  - infection
  - layers
  - ulcer
* Some chinchillas live in areas
  - deserts
  - dry deserts
  - lose weight
  - occupy mountains
* Some chinchillas sit on feet
  - rear feet
  - suffer from tooth disorder
* Some chinchillas survive on desert grass
  - when isolated, suffer from boredom and refuse to eat or resort to fur-chewing
* also come in beige, black, and with hints of purple.
* are a small rodent native to South America, found in rocky, arid areas in the mountains
  - related to squirrels and guinea pigs
  - type of rodent
  - about the size of a small rabbit
* are active and like to run, jump, and play
  - in the evening and during the night
  - affected by the full moon and become more active on a bright moonlit night
  - also most active in the evening hours
  - basically healthy rodents, as long as they are kept in a clean, healthy environment
  - coating
  - covered in thick fur for a reason
  - creatures of habit with strong internal clocks
  - endangered due to exploitation of the animal for fur
* are extremely clean, have no natural odor, and are generally very healthy animals
  - intelligent , and they can learn the names of their cagemates
  - famous for their beautiful bluish-grey fur, which is extremely soft and dense
  - fanatical in their grooming habits
  - generally robust little animals but sometimes health issues arise
  - great pets
  - hind-gut fermenters with a relatively long gastrointestinal tract
  - located in pet stores
  - mammals
  - most active in the evening and at night
  - native to Chile and Peru
* are nocturnal and live in colonies
  - so are at rest much of the day
* are nocturnal, sleeping during the day and very active at night
  - which means they spend most of the day sleeping or napping
* are one of the friendliest and cleanest animals
  - softest animals in the world
  - primarily nocturnal animals with activity peaking at dusk and dawn
  - quick, perky little animals
  - quiet and are nocturnal
  - regarded as an exotic animal
  - related to guinea pigs and porcupines
* are rodents native to the Andes mountains in South America
  - that are native to the Andes Mountains of northern Chile
  - rodents, but pikas are related to the hare and the rabbit, they are 'lagomorphs'
  - seasonal breeders
* are sensitive to heat, humidity, and drafts
  - small furry animals, between a guinea pig and rabbit in size
  - social animals who are playful, intelligent, loveable, and inquisitive
  - the coolest animals
  - thought to be smarter than rabbits and can be taught to play with humans
  - unusual in that they are a blend of both
  - vegetarians and they consume roots, grass, plants, fruits etc
  - vegetarians, primarily grass and seed eaters
* are very active animals, and like lots of exercise
  - active, have a lot of energy, and love to climb
  - clean and have almost no body odor
  - energetic and love to climb and jump so the larger the cage size the better
  - furry and come in lots of colours
  - sensitive to giardia - a parasite commonly found in drinking water
  - small and fragile animals
* are very social and do well in pairs and groups
* bathe in a very fine dust that gets everywhere.
* become sexually mature between six and eight months old
  - when they are around eight months old
* can become very attached to their keepers
  - drink water from valve waterers or sipper-type bottles
* can have excessive shedding as a response to stress
  - one to six kits per litter, with two being average
  - jump several feet in the air, and can squeeze through tiny spaces
  - live happily in groups, or can be kept alone
* can make a variety of vocalizations
  - noises that sound a lot like a squirrel when it is alarmed in a tree
  - spray urine and females tend to be much better at it with incredible aim
  - tell the difference between voiced and voiceless consonants
* come from the Andes Mountains of South America
  - in many colors
* communicate through sounds.
* cool themselves by sending blood into their large ears.
* do eat hay and take dust baths which can cause a problem to some people
  - nibble to show affection and to check out a new person
  - require dust baths several times a week
  - special chinchilla pellets, hay, and water as a basic diet
* exhibit a predator avoidance mechanism known as fur slip
  - symptoms
* get food
  - it by eating feed contaminated with raccoon droppings
* give birth by sitting up and hunching over, or squatting.
* handle cold weather better than hot weather due to their heavy coat.
* have a broad head with large ears and eyes, small forelimbs and a long, hairy tail
  - chorioallantoic-type placentation
  - cycle
  - great temperament, and they each have their own personality
* have a long bushy tail
  - gestation period compared to other rodents of their size
  - life expentancy
  - lot of lanolin oil in their fur
  - powerful scent they can put out in their urine when provoked
  - very sensitive digestive system
  - an insatiable desire to gnaw
  - broad heads, large ears, and large black eyes with vertical slit pupils
  - defenses such as losing fur, biting, and spraying urine
  - extremely large auditory bullae relative to the other genera
  - large incisor teeth that grow continuously throughout their life
  - long hind limbs which are adapted for leaping
* have no other way to cool themselves so they can overheat in a matter of minutes
  - specific mating season and breed any time in the year
  - small front legs compared to their hind legs
  - such thick fur that overheating danger
  - teeth that can grow longer than their bosy length in one year's time
  - very little odor if their cages are kept clean
* includes brains
  - breasts
  - chests
  - corpi
  - sterna
  - vertebrate feet
* is fur
* like to chew.
  - high up in the Andes Mountains in South America by Chile
  - groups just like grey wolves and bald eagles , and they mate for life
* look like long-tailed rabbits, but with smaller ears.
* love to have someone to cuddle with
  - sit as high as they can be
* make a variety of squeaks, squeals and odd sounding barks.
* make great pets for many reasons
* moult heavily twice a year and shed some hair all year round.
* naturally eat for long periods of time, mainly during the night
  - grasses, leaves and twigs
* need cages
  - homes
* originate from the Andes high up in Peru.
* require a lot of plant fiber in their diet.
* resemble rabbits.
* sometimes chew their own fur.
* take a single mate for life.
* tend to eat with their hands and often throw out a lot of pellets thus causing wastage
  - pee in one corner of the cage
* usually acquire the infection orally
  - do very poorly under even light anesthesia
* vary in temperament.
+ Pika: Lagomorphs
  * Pikas' are small mammals that resemble chinchillas. Chinchillas are rodents, but pikas are related to the hare and the rabbit, they are 'lagomorphs'. Pikas are also known as 'rock rabbits' or 'coneys'. There are 30 different species of pika.
  * In their usual habitat, chinchillas live either in burrows, or in crevices of rocks. They are good jumpers, and can jump very high. Chinchillas live in colonies. The females are much bigger than the males. Predators in the wild include hawks, skunks, felines, and canines.