chinchilla
Soft South American
A chinchilla is a small South American rodent prized for its exceptionally soft, dense fur.
The animals were hunted nearly to extinction for their pelts, which remain among the most expensive in the fur trade.
Chinchillas are also kept as pets.
The word extends to the luxurious gray fur itself and to garments made from it: a chinchilla coat.
Fur-bearing animal skin
- pelageMammal's fur collectively
- coatOuter garment or layer
- densityMass-to-volume ratio
- softnessYielding to gentle pressure
follicles · undercoat · guard hairs · blue-gray · mutation · breeding · ranching · farming
Persistent biting action
- incisorsFront cutting teeth
- RodentiaMammal order with ever-growing incisors
- whiskersFacial sensory hairs
- herbivorePlant-only consumer
hindgut fermenter · cecotrophy · teeth · mammal · prey · burrow · colony · agile
Yielding to touch
- plushThick-pile soft fabric
- velvetySoft and smooth-textured
- silkySmooth and lustrous
- downyHaving soft, fine texture
fluffy · dense · luxurious · smooth · fine · delicate · cottony · feathery
Barred confinement structure
- companionOne who keeps company
- domesticatedBred under human care
- nocturnalActive during darkness
- dustbathGrooming in loose soil
hay · pellets · wheel · exercise · handling · lifespan · veterinarian · exotic pet
pelt
Fur-bearing animal skin
softness · follicles · undercoat · guard hairs · blue-gray · mutation · breeding · ranching · farming · trade
gnawing
Persistent biting action
- incisorsFront cutting teeth
- RodentiaMammal order with ever-growing incisors
- whiskersFacial sensory hairs
herbivore · hindgut fermenter · cecotrophy · teeth · mammal · prey · burrow · colony · agile · jumping
soft
Yielding to touch
downy · fluffy · dense · luxurious · smooth · fine · delicate · cottony · feathery
cage
Barred confinement structure
- companionOne who keeps company
- domesticatedBred under human care
- nocturnalActive during darkness
dustbath · hay · pellets · wheel · exercise · handling · lifespan · veterinarian · exotic pet · temperament
Andes
South American western range
Argentina · South America · mountains · altitude · highlands · burrow · colony · wild · endangered · conservation
- chinchillasangora, curly
- mammalsbears, bats, sheep, cats, anteater
- petsdog, dogs, cats, puppy, kitten
- domesticated animalscow, dogs, pig, cats, horses
- exotic petssugar glider, fennec fox, hedgehog, capybara, serval
- Fluffy PetsPomeranian, Persian cat, Maine Coon, Bichon Frise, Maltese
chinchillahairless rat
Rodent lacking fur
naked mole rat · Sphynx cat · pig · elephant · rhinoceros
chinchillacapybara
World's largest rodent species
beaver · porcupine · harvest mouse · nutria
- chinchilla coatOuterwear from soft-furred rodent
- chinchilla furPelt from Andean rodent