CHINCHILLA. The chinchilla is a friendly little hopping creature of the rodent family, akin to the guinea-pig. It is about 15 inches long from its nose to the tip of its tail, lives in burrows, and eats vege table food. Its home is in the Andes Mountains of South America. The beautiful soft pearl-gray fur of the chinchilla is much in demand.
Ever since the days of the old Indian kingdoms, chinchillas have been hunted. The natives employ the grison, a type of weasel, to drive them from their holes, and in this way destroy enormous numbers.
Yet they reproduce so rapidly that, in many districts, their burrows completely undermine the soil, making horseback riding dangerous. Scientific name, Chin chilla lanigera.