Blue chinchillas have pink ears, white fluff covering their belly, and overall gray fur with a hint of blue, lighter than the standard gray.
Gray-blue chinchillas are very similar to standard gray chinchillas, both have a white abdomen and gray back fur, but the gray color is lighter.
Most gray-blue chinchillas have hidden blue pigment genes, making it difficult for people who don't understand to distinguish them from light gray chinchillas, but they can be differentiated by comparing the color of their ears.
Chinese Name: 灰蓝色龙猫
Nicknames: 绒鼠、长尾龙猫、毛丝鼠、栗鼠
English Name
Latin Name: Chinchillalaniger
Geographical Distribution: Andes Mountains in South America
Reproduction Method: Viviparous
Gray-blue chinchillas are gentle in nature and do not bite people. They like to live in groups, are good at jumping, easily startled and timid, and are accustomed to sleeping during the day and foraging at night. They enjoy lying on their back in the soft sunlight in the cage. Normally, male and female chinchillas get along well with each other and rarely quarrel, except for occasional fighting during the breeding season. When male and female chinchillas mate, they make soft cooing sounds similar to pigeons.
Gray-blue chinchillas prefer dry and cool environments. The suitable temperature ranges from 2 to 30 degrees Celsius. They do not thrive in temperatures below zero or above 30 degrees Celsius. Excessive rain, humidity, and cold winds are all detrimental to the growth and development of gray-blue chinchillas. Therefore, gray-blue chinchillas are generally raised in dim indoor environments.
Gray-blue chinchillas prefer to eat tender and juicy plants, as well as tree bark, hay, and seeds. In artificial breeding conditions, they are usually fed with hay, grains, and green feed, or a combination of these. The daily food intake for adult gray-blue chinchillas is about 5% to 6% of their body weight. When eating, gray-blue chinchillas adopt a posture similar to squirrels. They sit upright on their hind legs and use their front paws to pick up food and slowly bring it to their mouths. The average lifespan of gray-blue chinchillas is generally 15 to 20 years, and they reach reproductive maturity at around 8 to 10 years old.
Loved by pet enthusiasts, it is recommended to keep this species. They are social, gentle in nature, and active during the night. They are a type of rodent about the size of a rabbit, originally from the Andes Mountains in South America. They are famous for their soft and beautiful fur. Due to extensive hunting by humans, they are on the brink of extinction.
1. Intestinal torsion and intestinal intussusception - This disease occurs suddenly during mating when chasing or fighting, or during vigorous exercise. Once the disease occurs, it will cause severe pain, shaking of limbs and body, inability to stand, and sometimes squeaking. It can result in death. On autopsy, twisted or intussuscepted intestines can be directly observed, with mucosal bleeding and bleeding. Due to the rapid onset and quick death of this disease, there is often not enough time to take measures and the affected chinchilla has already died. In rescue, manually straighten the intestines, which can be effective for some affected chinchillas.
2. Vitamin deficiency - Various nutritional deficiencies are caused by defects in feed preparation and should be mainly prevented and supplemented by treatment. Common vitamin deficiencies include vitamin A and B1 deficiencies. In the case of vitamin A deficiency, affected chinchillas often suffer from hyperkeratosis, respiratory infections, decreased reproductive performance or infertility, obvious xerophthalmia or night blindness. Affected chinchillas often show dull eyes, cloudiness, dull and non-elastic fur, and weight loss. The breeding rate of male chinchillas significantly decreases and their sexual behavior disappears. Female chinchillas have prolonged or absent heat periods, interrupted pregnancies, fetal absorption or abortion. Vitamin A deficiency in baby chinchillas results in thin and weak bodies that are difficult to survive or blindness. Supplement affected chinchillas with 100 international units of vitamin A per day, and appropriately supplement through feed after one week. In the case of vitamin B1 deficiency, chinchillas' movements are uncoordinated, they are prone to neuroticism, and typical symptoms include convulsions, sudden spasms of limbs and body. After a spasm, they can return to normal activity, but if it continues to develop, it can cause death. During treatment, administer high doses of vitamin B1, continuously for 2-4 weeks, with a daily dosage of 10 milligrams per chinchilla.
3. Calcium and phosphorus metabolism disorders - Calcium and phosphorus metabolism disorders can occur due to calcium and phosphorus deficiencies or improper calcium-to-phosphorus ratios in feed, or a deficiency of vitamin D. The typical symptom of this disease is sudden spasms of muscles throughout the body, similar to the spasms caused by vitamin B1 deficiency. However, the spasms caused by calcium and phosphorus metabolism disorders often occur before or after feeding and do not show swaying. Affected chinchillas stick to the bottom of the cage, with stiff limbs and front paws stretched forward and their heads leaning backward. Treatment measures: Increase the content of calcium and phosphorus in the feed and adjust the ratio of calcium to phosphorus and the content of vitamin D. Alternatively, use glucose calcium muscle injection, once a day, 1-1.5 milliliters each time, continuous injection for 3-5 days.
4. Alopecia - The fur of chinchillas is valuable, and alopecia is a major loss that frequently occurs. The causes of alopecia in chinchillas are twofold: a shortage of unsaturated fatty acids in the feed and neurotic hair loss. Once the fur is shed, it loses its value as a fur. The symptoms often involve both causes, with neurotic hair loss predominating. Whether they are active in the cage or engaged in activities such as adding food and water artificially, affected chinchillas shed their fur sporadically or in clumps. The cage is filled with scattered fur, and the severely affected chinchillas have exposed and keratinized skin, resembling scabies. These affected chinchillas cannot participate in breeding. Take oral or feed supplementation of unsaturated fatty acids, preferably given immediately after preparation. Administer 2 pills of linolenic acid per day, continuously for 3-5 days, to achieve certain effects.
1) The chinchilla's cage is best placed in a high place, such as on a table, cabinet, or chair... Don't put it directly on the ground
Because chinchillas in the wild are preyed upon by eagles from above... Ancient DNA shadows...
2) The chinchilla's drinking water must always be ensured, and the water should be changed when the water level in the water bottle drops to a certain level. The water bottle is best hung at the highest point of the cage, allowing the chinchilla to easily stand on the middle layer of the cage and reach the water
3) When feeding the chinchilla, always alternate between hay and dry food every other day, but only feed one type of food each day, either dry food or hay. A balanced diet is very important, as there have been precedents where long-term picky eating (liking to eat only one type of food) has led to the fur of chinchilla babies gradually becoming sparse. Therefore, don't let the chinchilla baby's longing look soften your heart. Letting them pick and choose what they want to eat based on their own preferences.
Both dry food and hay are essential. If you find that the chinchilla baby is picking and choosing leaves in the hay and abandoning the stems, you can feed them dry food stems one day and hay leaves the next day to ensure nutrition.
4) Chinchilla snacks can be given every other day, but don't give too much. Give them 1-2 times a day, and give them a small piece of fruit once each time. Eating too many snacks can cause the chinchilla to lose their appetite and even cause excessive gastrointestinal burden leading to diarrhea. The same principle applies to children. Eating an ice cream a day is no problem, but eating dozens of boxes a day will definitely cause diarrhea.
5) If you see the chinchilla eating halfway and then throwing away the food, you must let them go hungry and not feel sorry for them. Picky eating can also make children become weak and thin.
There is also a new method summarized by people allowing chinchillas to not be picky eaters as much. Some chinchillas are lazy to hold the same thing for too long, so they often eat half of a piece of hay and then drop it when their hand loosens. If the hay and food are broken into small segments of 1-2cm, the waste rate will be lower.
6) Chinchillas cannot be bathed with water, they should use sand bath powder. In dry weather, bathe the chinchilla every 4-5 days, and in the most humid weather (rainy season, sauna days), bathe them every day.
The domestically produced delicate sand bath powder is very beneficial for the delicate skin and fur of chinchillas, but it will cause dust during use, causing trouble for the owner. My solution is to spread a layer of sand bath powder that is 1-2cm thick on the bottom of a clean plastic bucket, place it on the ground, and then put the chinchilla in for a bath. I stand by the side, and the dust that it kicks up will be partly blocked by the bucket wall, and the small amount of dust that is stirred up won't reach my mouth and nose.
If using imported chinchilla sand bath powder with larger particles, there will be less dust. You can also buy a Japanese-made rice barrel, which has a transparent cover on top. When the chinchilla is bathing, you can see it through the transparent cover without causing dust.
7) Chinchillas have strong adaptability. They can become familiar with unfamiliar sounds and people within 1-2 days, but before becoming familiar, they will be very nervous. So don't expect chinchillas to bring them out to busy streets bustling with people.
8) When letting the chinchilla out to play, be careful not to let them exercise too vigorously to prevent intestinal torsion in obese babies.
9) Chinchillas like to jump, and a good skeleton is important. As the main food, alfalfa hay/grains contain rich calcium. As long as the chinchilla eats a balanced diet, they will not lack calcium. Before the chinchilla is fully grown, you can supplement calcium by feeding them a children's fruit-flavored calcium tablet every other day before meals. They will hold and gnaw on it themselves.
10) Under normal eating conditions, if the chinchilla is constipated, the feces will become small and dark, and their appetite will decrease. If constipation is detected in a timely manner, feeding them some diced apples to lubricate their intestines and promote bowel movements is sufficient. At the same time, letting them exercise properly when they are out can also help in treatment. If they have a poor appetite and soft stools, switch to only feeding them dry food stems and feed them a lactobacillus tablet before meals. Dietary therapy combined with medication will quickly resolve the issue.
11) Chinchillas use wooden houses and jump boards made of broadleaf wood, which are safe materials for grinding their teeth.
Pine and other coniferous woods contain aromatic substances such as resin, which is detrimental to the health of chinchillas, so they cannot be used to make wooden chinchilla products.
12) Chinchilla feces have no odor, but their urine has a slight smell, so wood shavings or cat litter should be used to absorb it at the bottom of the cage.
13) The temperature range suitable for chinchilla survival is between 5℃-28℃, and the most comfortable temperature for them is between 18-22℃. The cage should not be exposed to direct sunlight or drafts. When the weather is too hot, a ice bottle can be used to cool down their immediate environment.
Gray-blue chinchillas typically molt every few months. The old fur sheds starting from the neck and continues until the tail. This molting cycle is not based on a seasonal pattern and is influenced by the weather. They shed their fur every three months or so as it grows, so chinchillas molt at irregular intervals throughout the year. Usually, the shed fur falls into the bottom tray of the cage, and some may stick to the wire mesh. It is beneficial to groom the shed fur during a chinchilla's molting period to make them look more regal. Additionally, this prevents the fur from flying around.
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