Chinchillas are cute little rodents with the densest fur-ever in all mammals and eat plant leaves, dried fruit, small insects and fruits, nuts, and seeds.Chinchillas are crepuscular rodents of the parvorder Caviomorpha, with two species (chinchilla chinchilla and Chinchilla lanigera). Chinchillas are bigger and more robust than ground squirrels.Chinchillas live in colonies known as ‘herds’ in high mountainous locations of up to 14,000 ft (4,267 m) in elevation. Historically, chinchilla fur has been the densest. They are found in regions of Bolivia, Peru, Argentina, and Chile, but because of its extra-soft fur or velvet-lit fur, it is being hunted down by people and has become extinct in wild colonies. They are presently only known to exist in Chile. They form the Chinchillidae family with its closely related species, the Viscachas. They are linked to the chinchilla rat as well. Chinchillas are also kept as pets in households but have been declared endangered species by IUCN. Chinchilla’s diet mostly consists of nuts and seeds, fruits, plant leaves, dried fruit, small insects, grasses leaves, twigs. They should be fed with good quality fresh drinking water and less sugar and fat content food to avoid them from getting ill.You can also read about what do beavers eat and what do chipmunks eat.Can chinchillas eat rabbit food?No. Rabbit food and pellets are not suitable for your pet chinchillas and should be avoided. Instead, you can give good quality grass pellets to chew. You should not feed that to your chinchilla the food which you feed your rabbits.Chinchilla’s diet requires a high fiber in the form of hay. Timothy hay, orchard grass, nuts and seeds, dried fruit, grass, oat hay, and meadow hay are some of the best chinchilla hays. Timothy hay is the best food for chinchillas and is good quality food. Chinchillas naturally are not designed for sugary or fat-related foods as these foods are the cause of many digestive problems for them. Rabbit food or fat is not at all suitable for the chinchilla for eating purposes and their life. Feeding your chinchilla the wrong food can lead to health problems and they will need to see the vet then. The teeth of chinchillas need to be worn out as they grow all of their life. They maintain the correct length and shape by eating grasses and hay. Failure to feed them with the right diet can lead to some sudden serious dental disease and you may invite a vet to see them. They like to eat natural vegetation.What fruits can chinchillas eat?Your pet chinchillas can eat small amounts of some fruits such as apples, blueberries, grapes, raisins, sultanas, strawberries, pears because they have good nutrients and are easy to chew. This food can be in pet chinchilla’s diet in very small bits as the digestive system is complicated and sensitive like most other rodents. One more important thing to keep in mind is that they should be fed in the early morning or late evening.Chinchillas seek items like nuts and seeds to supplement their diet of grass in the wild, but these meals include extra fats and carbohydrates. These additional fats and sugars are not beneficial in a long-term diet since they can disturb a wild chinchilla’s digestive system, causing an imbalance and poor health. As a result, you may give your adorable pet chinchilla grass pellets, which will provide extra nourishment without any of the hazards that occur in the wild. The calcium content of alfalfa hay is too high for them and can even cause the development of calcium-containing bladder stones. Chinchillas have very sensitive digestive tracts, any necessary changes in diet should be done properly and in very small amounts and high fiber diets are given as high fiber diets ferment the food and the roughage to wear down their continuously growing teeth. Don’t let your Chichilla eat or drink any fatty product. They should be fed with fresh drinking water and less sugar and fat content food to avoid them from getting ill.What human food can chinchillas eat?Just like us, these pet Chinchillas can also eat some tasty food we eat, vegetables like kale, dandelion greens, collard green, lettuce, carrots, parsley, and turnip greens are very healthy for the Chinchillas. The calcium content of local Alfalfa hay is too high for them.And some fruits like pears, strawberries, apples, and bananas can be given to them. Both fruits and vegetables can be given only after cutting them into very small pieces. The diet which these chinchillas prefer to eat should have rich fiber content for which the grass hay is preferred. Other types of hay include timothy hay, orchard hay, oat hay, and meadow hay. Throughout their life, their need for natural vegetation in the wild is there.How many times do chinchillas eat a day?These pet Chinchillas like to eat their food preferably in the early morning time or at late night when they are in the wild. Pet chinchillas tend to eat their food at least twice a day but also they have the tendency to consume food all day long. They are very slow eaters if we compare them to other small mammals like guinea pigs and rabbits.The pellets which they eat are plain and should be hay-based, and do not contain any seeds, dry fruit, or nuts. You should give pellets to chinchillas after measuring them according to their diet. Only fresh produce should be given.The diet of pet Chinchillas contains the requirements of high fiber and for that, grass hay is best like the low calcium hay, oat hay, orchard hay, timothy hay, meadow hay. Hay needs to be the main component of the diet of Chinchillas.What shouldn’t you feed a chinchilla?You should not feed yogurt to your cute little friend. Any food item with high sugar content in it should not be given to the chinchillas at all. Also, cereals of all kinds and bread pieces should be avoided. You can feed them with nuts and fruits, but that too very occasionally in small bits and by using tablespoons. Excess salty food and mineral supplements are not useful for the Chinchillas and should get avoided.Many foods which we may think are normal can be poisonous to these little creatures. You need to double-check everything you give to your pet. You should strictly avoid giving these food items to chinchillas: broccoli, rhubarb asparagus, cabbage, peas, avocado, spinach, lettuce, corn, and rhubarb leaves. Some other food items are sunflower seeds and peanuts.We know that Chinchillas have very dense fur and because of that their tolerance to temperature and humidity is not good. If you have them in a cage, just keep them in a place where there is not much heat and the chinchilla can experience coolness. Also, prefer the areas, which are dry with good ventilation. The most preferred temperature for these chinchillas is between 60-75 ℉ (15.55℃-23.88℃) and the humidity should be less than 60 %.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for what do chinchillas eat, then why not take a look at what do llamas eat or Chinchilla facts?
Chinchillas are cute little rodents with the densest fur-ever in all mammals and eat plant leaves, dried fruit, small insects and fruits, nuts, and seeds.
