How Do Wild Chinchillas Get Their Food?
The chinchilla gets its name from the Chincha people who lived in the Andes mountains and wore chinchilla fur to stave off the cold. Wild chinchillas are now quite rare, having been hunted for their fur, and they are now confined to the rocky scrubland slopes of the Andean mountains within Chile, whereas previously there were populations in Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. Within this habitat they consume a predominantly herbivorous diet.
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Diet
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Wild chinchillas subsist primarily on vegetation. They will consume the leaves all sorts of plants, as well as seeds, grasses, fruits and flowers, depending on the season and the species of plants within their home range. Chinchillas will also supplement their diet with small insects such as crickets, moths and centipedes.
Finding Food
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In the wild, chinchillas live in social colonies comprising family members. They inhabit burrows within rocky crevices or under the soil. Typically, the group will leave the burrow early in the morning to search for food. Because the vegetation can be scant, they are capable of traveling several miles in order to feed. They are opportunistic, eating anything suitable that they find, as opposed to concentrating on a single species.
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Eating Food
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The digestive system of the wild chinchilla is not very efficient. It does not efficiently break down the cellulose within the vegetation that forms the majority of the chinchilla's diet. This means that chinchillas must eat a great deal to get the nutrients they need. They will also eat their feces in order to get the maximum amount of nutrients from their food.
Water
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Wild chinchillas do not consume very much water. They will also avoid eating plants that contain excessive moisture, such as cacti. This is because their digestive systems will not synthesize the water very quickly, which can cause bloating. This can prove fatal.
Chinchillas as Food
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The nature of their habitat means that chinchillas do not have the protection afforded by woods or long grass that similar-sized mammals in other areas would utilize to avoid predators. As defense, wild chinchillas are incredibly agile, able to jump more than 6 feet. They must utilize their agility to escape predatory birds, snakes, skunks and felines. If attacked, a chinchilla will spray urine and is able to shed fur in order to escape.
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References
- Photo Credit Andes mountains in Argentina image by Schwabacher from Fotolia.com
