There is definitely speciesism
apparent within the chinchilla species. First of all, as mentioned in an
earlier post, some chinchillas are kept as companion animals, while other
chinchillas are farmed for their fur. These are two completely different uses
by humans for chinchillas, involving different diets, levels of care, and life
spans among other things. Additionally, this is a factor that would never even
be considered for dogs or cats. There are very few people who would be okay
with dogs or cats being farmed for their fur. With chinchillas, it is
considered acceptable by many people because the value of the coat in their
opinions justifies the farming of an animal that many consider a family pet.
The impact of the species as a whole is not great because the animals are being
farmed specifically for that purpose, however the chinchillas kept on the farms
do not experience the same quality of life as the animals that are kept as
pets. The illegal hunting of wild chinchillas has had a great impact on the
species as a whole because it has ultimately led to extinction. The fur is very
valuable because it is so limited, causing poachers to hunt the species as much
as possible.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Ethology
It is widely believed by
chinchilla owners that they can experience emotion and intelligence very
strongly. If your pet chinchillas sees you or someone who it is familiar with,
it is very common for it to stand up on it’s hind legs and greet you at the
side of its enclosure. Likewise, if a chinchilla is feeling unhappy or scared,
it has been reported that a chinchilla will “bark” or make a loud honking
sound. Chinchillas are said to bond very strongly with humans that spend a lot
of time with them and especially other chinchillas. They form what are referred
to as “bonded pairs” which are usually a pair of two chinchillas that bond
strongly to each other and become dependent on each other. It is not easy to
get two chinchillas to bond because often times chinchillas are aggressive
towards each other and territorial. It is said that a chinchilla must choose
its own partner and cannot be forced with just any chinchilla because they have
been known to fight, sometimes even to the death. When a chinchilla is with its
cage-mate, they often show signs of excitement and happiness towards each
other. When a chinchilla is feeling excited and playful, they can often be seen
“popcorning” or arching the back and hopping all four legs straight off the
ground. Another display of excitement is “wall surfing”. A lot of times when a
chinchilla is let out for out of cage play time, it will display its excitement
by pushing off of a wall or other vertical surface. Chinchillas have a range of
sounds that have various meanings that are thought to indicate specific
emotions. Some chinchillas even enjoy having their neck and behind the ear
scratched and will close their eyes and tilt their head into the finger
scratching them.
**I personally have two
chinchillas which do all of these things all of the time.
 |
| Cuddling bonded pair of chinchillas |
 |
| Chinchilla enjoying having its neck scratched |
Chinchilla enjoying scratches
Chinchilla "popcorning" out of excitement
http://winstonsalemnorthcarolinachinchillas.webs.com/photos/undefined/Fifel%20and%20Varicella.jpg
--image
Current Social Perceptions
The chinchilla now is widely perceived
as a pet. Its large eyes and ears, incredibly soft fur, and sociable
personality have made it into an extremely popular and relatively rare
companion animal. There are numerous forums online dedicated to the proper care
and handling for pet chinchillas. Because of this standing as a companion
animal, the continued use in the fur trade is widely frowned upon by animal
lovers. There are however, many who still farm domesticated chinchillas for
their fur.
The softness and long strands make their fur
extremely popular to those who enjoy fur garments, and can be very expensive.
Coats made from wild chinchilla pelts have sold for up to $100,000. This is a
demonstration of how some people view chinchillas raised as pets differently
than chinchillas raised on a farm. A chinchilla owner could never imagine their
companion being killed and skinned to make a coat, but someone who values a
chinchilla fur coat would be in support of fur farmers.
Some
chinchillas are exhibited at chinchilla shows, where they are judged on the
quality and color of their fur, their temperament, and their overall
appearance. Show chinchillas are typically kept in good conditions, but that
really depends on the owner of the particular chinchilla. The focus for those
animals is more on keeping the fur quality nice, as opposed to pet chinchillas
being kept happy and healthy to make good companions.
Chinchillas
have also been used for research on the auditory system, because they have a
very large range of hearing and their cochlea is similar in size to that of a
human.
Pet Chinchilla Habitat
Chinchilla Fur
Social History and Domestication
The domestication of the chinchilla began with the Chincha
Indians. They lived in an environment that chinchillas naturally inhabited, and
they kept some trapped chinchillas to breed in captivity. In 1923, a man named
Matthias F. Chapman imported a select few chinchillas into the United States,
every pet chinchilla in the US today is a descendant of that herd. Prior to this,
chinchillas were not recorded to have been exported from their natural habitat.
Ranches that farmed chinchillas were first seen in Chile in the late 19th
century, and later in both Chile and Peru. The pelts of chinchillas at the time
had very little value, causing the ranches to be overall unsuccessful. American
ranches began to appear, and created a larger market. Women in America and
Europe found chinchilla fur even more desirable than the other furs that were
common at the time, causing chinchilla fur to become very highly valued in
those locations. Chinchillas were valued mainly for their fur in history and
only relatively recently became valued as companion animals.
Species Identification
There are two different living species of chinchilla:
Chinchilla chinchilla (formerly known as the Chinchilla brevicaudata) and the Chinchilla lanigera. They are extremely similar,
although they’re body types are slightly different. The Chinchilla chinchilla
has a shorter tail and ear, and a thicker neck and shoulders. The Chinchilla
chinchilla is a wildlife species
that is facing extinction, and the Chinchilla lanigera is rarely found in the wild, and is the
species that the domesticated
chinchilla descends from. The domesticated chinchilla is considered a rodent,
and an exotic companion animal. All
species of chinchilla are used in the fur industry, although it is illegal to
hunt wild chinchillas.
Chinchilla chinchilla
Wild Chinchilla
Domesticated Chinchilla langiera
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