Fruits and vegetables contain plenty of moisture in their natural form, and since chinchillas have adapted to a dry diet, too much moisture can cause bloating. Dehydration can take up to 48-hours to occur and in cases like these, it is extremely important that you contact a vet and get a check-up immediately. Some cacti and the cacti fruit they feed on also provide some water. Nutritional values can vary between brand names and you should aim between 14-16% fibre and protein with the importance focusing on fibre. You must also remember to add the nutritional values of the treat to what the chinchilla has already consumed through its pellets and hay (as it is all accumulative!). So, what does that leave, you ask? Chinchillas absolutely hate being alone and always live with others in the wild. A raisin (as small as it may look) contains 70% sugar and since a chinchilla should have no more than 4% of sugar in a day, you can see how bad raisins are! They remain scarce in the wild but are raised commercially and also sold as housepets. strain on vital organs. There are some treats you can offer to a chinchilla these are... Improper nutrition will lead There are occasions where it is necessary to water bath a chinchilla. (amongst others) that all might not usually empty their bottle in a day, they can, so pay attention! Human Interaction. Read on to learn about the chinchilla. They live in colonies called "herds" at high elevations of up to 4,270 m (14,000 ft). Their diet in the wild consists of plants, roots, and grasses. Charlie Chinchilla is a particular culprit, including lots of extras within its pellets (raisins included) and a chinchilla will seriously overeat on these extras causing them to become fussy eaters, missing vital nutrition and causing the onset of health issues. Where Do Chinchillas Live in the Wild? hard when fatty treats are Replenish their water every day as … They have four toes on each foot, and the thin claws on each toe are surrounded by stiff bristles.Chinchillas are typically 9 to 15 inches (23 to 38 centimeters) long, but the tail can add another 3 to 6 inches (8 to … Also, not distilled water. Pellets made for other animals have been created to incorporate all the nutrition these specific animals need, which differs from the chinchilla. After disinfecting, be sure to rinse, rinse, and rinse to be sure the vinegar is gone completely. Their colonies usually have over 100 other Chinchillas in them. Make sure to clean and refill the bottle or bowl once a day. Adult females are about 30 percent larger than males; the difference is a bit less pronounced in the wild. Rather, they extract it from the food they eat. Keep your chinchillas safe by learning what to avoid. Chinchillas drink water just like every other animal. Because chinchillas are from a cold place in the wild, they need to keep cool. What do chinchillas drink? Chinchilla and Human Interaction. Chinchillas generally consume approximately 1-2 tablespoons (20 grams) of pellets per day and will never overeat so for this reason alone, a chinchilla must always have both pellets and hay available at all times. Since chinchilla fur makes soft and beautiful coats, millions of chinchillas were killed for their pelts until they became nearly extinct in the 1940's. Chinchillas drink fresh water like any other animal, so they require a full water bottle or water bowl in their cage at all times. When overheating, a chinchilla can suffer from heat stroke and die. Domestic chinchillas, which have been selectively bred for nearly 100 years, are almost twice the size of wild chinchillas. In the wild, chinchillas tend to eat timothy hay and alfalfa hay the most. Their habitat is growing smaller each day as vegetation in the Andes Mountains gradually disappears. The balls or pins can get stuck, so it's a good idea to check them twice a day to be sure your chin can get water out. Hay mixtures such as those containing orchard grass, blue grass, timothy and alfalfa, make a satisfactory feed and should be available at all times. provided, putting extra A good quality 'coarse' hay takes a long time to grind down before the chinchilla can swallow it, therefore the extra side-to-side grinding motion needed to break down the substance gives extra filing on the back teeth. Be SURE to pay attention to the level of the water. The animals have been observed in the wild eating small insects, seeds, fruits, and plant leaves. In the wild, chinchillas live in burrows or in rock crevices, places that offer safe havens for them to take cover so they can get some stress-free sleep. Chinchillas that are fed Chinchillas are herbivores. Replenish their water every day as it can become stagnant and might hurt your pet. On the other hand, pet chinchillas just love to have chinchilla nuggets in their diet. Hay must be stored correctly in a dry, well ventilated place. Both male and female chinchillas reach sexual maturity at 8 months old. They take dust baths. Over 100 chinchillas are required to make just one coat. Because of this, chinchillas do not tolerate heat and humidity very well and can overheat quite easily. Hay has another importance to a chinchilla as it helps grind down the back molars keeping them in good length and preventing tooth disorders. inappropriate nutrition Do Chinchillas Need Toys? Filtered or bottled water. Over supplementation can be fatal to a chinchilla so please do not start adding supplements if … A chinchilla WILL overeat treats, which causes a fatty liver (amongst other health issues) and death! Even dried fruit contains sugar, just in more concentrated form. In the wild, chinchillas love eating fresh, clean and sweet-smelling hay. The quality of the hay/grasses plays more importance than the quantity of hay you provide. Chinchilla pellets should not contain fish oils unless cholene and vitamin K are added to the diet to assist the chinchilla's liver in metabolizing the fish fat and never should they contain yeast! Alternatively, many of the places outside grocery or drug stores, where you can fill 1, 3 or 5 gallon jugs are stage 3 filtered and are super reasonable! Protein should come second to fibre in a chinchilla's diet. What Do Chinchillas Eat & What To AVOID In Their Diet? Any higher and your chinchilla could overheat and pass away. They have historically lived in Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru, although they may be extinct in Bolivia and Argentina.Chinchillas live at high altitudes where it’s cool and dry. If you trek to the Andes to have a look at chinchillas’ natural habitat, you won’t see a variety of fun-shaped, colorful, sisal-pumice-wood combination chew toys laying around or hanging overhead. The chinchilla’s liver They don’t like damp hay as it can seriously upset their stomach. For many years, the chinchilla’s only interaction with humans consisted of being hunted, and later bred in captivity, for their exceptionally soft fur. Chinchillas can eat a wide variety of natural food like hay, vegetables, dried fruits, nuts, berries, dried plants and herbs. Water should always be filtered or distilled. obesity and diabetes Wild chinchillas do not drink water. The advice against getting a chinchilla wet refers to the fact that chinchillas do not take water baths. They have diet that consists of hay and pellets that gives them little fluid intake compared to what they would eat in the wild. such as liver problems, Nutritional intake over 20% can be 'too rich' for some chinchillas and will cause the faeces to become soft and mushy as well as causing gastrointestinal problems. Appropriate nutritional values can be achieved by offering a variety of good quality coarse hay, good quality pellets made only for chinchillas and water that has been boiled and left to cool. Chinchillas are not as common a pet as some other little creatures, but they do share similar traits. Chinchillas are very inquisitive and love to explore their surroundings. The only human interaction chinchillas had for many years was when they were being hunted. Since chinchilla fur makes soft and beautiful coats, millions of chinchillas were killed for their pelts until they became nearly extinct in … December 29, 2019 by Fern. The average temperature for the area is 65° Fahrenheit and little to no rainfall. A wet, moist or even soaking wet chinchilla will not turn them into a gremlin at midnight. Pet chinchillas bathe in dust in the exact same way that their wild counterparts do. Chinchillas are closely related to porcupines a guinea pigs, with strong, muscular hind legs that resemble those of a rabbit. Chinchillas are herbivores (plant eating animals) and in the wild their diet would be bland, feeding off seeds, roots, leaves, fruits, berries, bark, alfalfa and various grasses, all of which contain a high percentage of fibre. Their diet in the wild consists of plants, roots, and grasses. All rights reserved. Meat. Some chinchillas can drink more on different days so just because they might not usually empty their bottle in a day, they can, so pay attention! Proving you offer a healthy diet with the correct nutritional quantities, you should not need to supplement a chinchilla (as this can throw out the nutritional calculations).