| Chinchillas |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-707 |
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Thane Maynard of the Cincinnati Zoo introduces an exotic animal whose very name still denotes luxury to many people: the chinchilla (figure A). Originally natives of Chile , chinchillas have been domesticated for centuries, today they're known to make excellent pets. These gentle creatures have the world's softest hair, which for centuries was prized by the fur trade. The softness has a less-than-exotic cause, though: split ends, which cause the hairs to feather out in order to trap air and provide warmth to the mountain-dwelling animals. A pet chinchilla requires special -- but far from pricey -- care in order to maintain its soft coat: it needs to take a dust bath every few weeks. The sandy environment from which they originally came provided the perfect way to knock off dead skin and get rid of parasites, so a caged chinchilla must have access to an ample supply of dust. (Pet stores carry special antifungal dust for pet chinchillas.) They also need plenty of room to move around, as they are highly active. And because they're very social animals, they absolutely must have a lot of interaction with their humans.
RESOURCES :
Chinchillas
Model: 0764109340
Author: Maike Roder-Thiede and Johann Brandstetter
Barrons Educational Series
Published May 1999
All About Chinchillas
Model: 0866221433
Author: Karen Zeinert
TFH Publications, 1988
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