Chinchilla black ebony sapphire. Chinchilla breeds provide a variety of fur colors

The dominant color is the color of the chinchilla coat, which is transmitted to offspring at the gene level, thereby determining belonging to a particular breed. The following main dominant colors of domestic animals are distinguished.

gray standard(standard)

Price: from 2500 rubles.

It is a wild (natural) color of chinchilla, which is also called agouti (agouti). The fur coat on the sides and on the back is from light to dark gray with a bluish tinge. The belly of the animal is white or bluish-white. Each hair of fur has pronounced color zones. The underside of the coat is dyed bluish-black, the middle is white, and the top is black. Keepers of fur-bearing animals distinguish 7 shades of gray fur coats standard color. To improve the quality and thickness of the fur when breeding colored chinchillas, it is recommended that about 10% of the breeding stock be agoutis. Their genes also influence the size of the body and the expressiveness of the eyes of fur-bearing animals. Standard gray chinchillas reach sexual maturity earlier, are more prolific and hardier than colored animals.

Black velvet(Black Velvet)

Price: from 5500 rubles.

A distinctive feature of this color is the presence of black diagonal stripes on the front legs and the back and “mask” on the head of the same color. The abdomen of the animal is bright white with a "transitional zone" on the sides. The quality of this color is proportional to the degree of blackness of the back and sides, as well as the whiteness of the abdomen. The size of the muzzle and ears of a black-velvety furry animal is interconnected with the length of the tail. Chinchillas with small, not elongated muzzles and ears have a short tail, and vice versa, long-nosed animals have a long fluffy tail.

Gomobeige(Homo beige)

Price: from 4500 rubles.

Chinchillas have light beige, creamy fur with a pinkish sheen and very light ears. Undercoat almost white color. The belly of the chinchilla also has a white color. The fur coat of the animal does not have a zonal separation of shades. The fur of this species of chinchillas is evenly colored, rarely there are hairs with a slightly dark tip. Eyes pet may be red or pink with a blue or almost white rim around the pupil.

white-pink(pink white)

Price: from 5500 rubles.

Chinchilla has several color options. The fur of the animal can be white-pink or almost white with small beige patches. There are also beige pets with white spots or stripes. Chinchilla ears are pink, sometimes freckled. The eyes are red or dark ruby. The animals of the white-pink breed have a white, beige and standard gene, which sometimes provides a mosaic coat color. Chinchilla fur can be white with a beige "veil" (dyed hair tips). Mosaic white and pink animals with clearly defined spots of white and beige are considered especially valuable. Rarely are beige chinchillas with a pure white tail.

White Wilson(Wilson White)

Price: from 5500 rubles.

The color of the fur of the animal varies from snow-white to dark silver. The eyes and edges of the ears of the chinchilla are black. The presence of yellowness in the color of the white Wilson coat indicates a decrease in the quality and purity of the breed. The fur of the animal may have a dark gray undercoat and a "veil" from light to dark gray. The value of a chinchilla of this breed depends on the quantity and uniformity of the distribution of light and dark hairs over the fur coat. Animals of dark silver color are called platinum. You can buy a white chinchilla with black spots of various shapes, this type is called mosaic white Wilson. This breed valued the clarity and unusual shape, as well as the symmetry of the dark spots.

heterobeige(Tower beige)

Price: from 4500 rubles.

A characteristic feature of this breed is the pink color of the ears with black pigment spots of various shapes and sizes. Chinchilla eyes are pink, dark red or brown. The coat of the animal on the head, back, sides and tail can be cream, beige, light brown or dark beige. The belly of the animal is white. The undercoat of a chinchilla is from pale to dark gray-blue, so the coat of an animal in subdued artificial lighting can appear both blue and beige at the same time. yellowish or orange tint fur reduces the quality of this breed. To get a purer fur color, you can buy a beige chinchilla for a girl, and a light gray color for a boy.

White velvet

Price: from 8000 rubles.

The main color of the fur is white, and on the head there is an almost black "mask". Chinchilla's front legs have black or dark gray diagonal stripes. Sometimes these color features appear by 2-3 months. There are exceptions in the white velvet breed, when the main color of the fur of the whole body is black, and the tail is dazzling white.

Brown velvet

Price: from 7000 rubles.

Pink, ruby ​​and brown eyes are characteristic of this breed. The ears of the animals are pink, the front legs with brown stripes, and a dark brown mask on the head. The back of a chinchilla is light to dark shades of brown. The abdomen is colored white, and sometimes beige or light brown. The darker the belly of the animal, the lower the value of the breed.

recessive colors

A recessive color is a chinchilla's fur color that only appears when offspring are produced from two animals with the same non-dominant genes. There are the following main breeds of domestic chinchillas.

Charcoal.

Price: from 8000 rubles.

The fur coat of the animal has a black color with a brownish tint. The animal has gray ears and black eyes. The belly of a chinchilla is dark gray. Due to color mixing charcoal did not receive recognition from fur breeders, but was preserved thanks to amateurs who keep home farms. Chinchillas of this breed are small and have less thick fur than other members of the genus.

violet

Price: from 5000 rubles.

The chinchilla coat in natural light has a purple sparkling hue, in artificial light the fur is steel-gray. The abdomen of the animal is snow-white in color. The eyes of the animal are black. There are white and beige representatives of this breed, in which the hairs of a gray-violet color are evenly distributed over the skin, which gives the fur a lilac tint. White violet can have whole spots on the fur coat different forms and sizes with a purple tint, more pronounced at the tip of the tail.

Sapphire

The color of the chinchilla fur is gray with a pronounced blue tint. Belly of a white animal. The eyes of the sapphire chinchilla are black. Other breeds change the color of the coat with age (as a rule, it darkens), and the sapphire retains the color that it had at birth throughout its life. Also, representatives of this genus are valued for a very delicate coat to the touch.

Albino

The fur of a chinchilla is pure white in color, since there is no pigment in the body of the animal. The eyes of a pet are red. Chinchilla skin is pink. This color is highly valued, as it is rarely found in nature and on domestic farms.

Foggy

The coat of a chinchilla is gray in color with a blurry pattern a tone lighter or darker. The eyes of the animal are most often black. Another name for this breed is misty.

Not agouti

The fur of the animal is gray in color with an unexpressed monochromatic zoning. The eyes of the chinchilla are dark, may be with a reddish tint. Domestic animals of this breed are similar in appearance to the standard gray, but have a recessive color.

To date, the variety of colored chinchillas is constantly growing, crossing dominant and recessive colors, new breeds are obtained. Also, the mutation of the gene constantly provides the appearance of interesting and attractive shades of pet coats. Each breeding holder of chinchillas may have new species of these beautiful animals.

Chinchillas- cute domestic fur-bearing animals. There are 14 main breeds in the world and more than 10 interbreed mixtures. On farms where chinchillas are bred, the animals are divided according to the color of their coats, mainly into dark, light and gray.

Many people have chinchillas as a pet, others breed them in bulk, when crossing, getting either the color of one of the main breeds, or a unique color. This article provides information about the appearance of chinchillas, the main breeds and the rules for breeding rodents.

There are only two types of chinchillas: small long-tailed and large, they differ from each other in the size of body parts. Long-tailed chinchillas are the most common species, so further external description will apply to him. Their historical habitat is the Andes.

Rodent incisors have the function of biting off food particles. Indigenous, as in humans, it is customary to divide into molars and premolars. Their sizes can reach 12 mm. The first are large teeth, and they are located on the back of the jaw. They perform the function of mechanical processing of food, grinding. Between the incisors and premolars there is also a special gap - the diastema. Chinchillas have only one set of teeth for life.

In you will learn what are the early signs of pregnancy in a chinchilla, the rules for feeding females during this period, how to prepare a cage for the birth of babies and help the chinchilla herself during childbirth.

Prices for cages for chinchillas

Cage for chinchilla

Chinchilla colors

The color of an ordinary individual - gray-blue with white patches in the belly area. Moreover, in the long-tailed representatives of this family, the saturation of the color and the length of the colored part may vary by nature. There are only 9 main colors of chinchilla fur, and as a result of selection, this number grows to 150 different new shades. The usual gray color can vary from a darkish to a light shade. Of course, crossing gray individuals with each other will not give you a new, unique shade, but this hybrid is no less important and valuable than the others. Ordinary grayish chinchillas allow you to bring the properties of fur and the dimensions of the body of other individuals to a new level. Their number in good breeders is about 10%.

Main breeds

Fur color black (dark) velvet was introduced in the 1960s. The main color of these animals is black. In addition, there are distinguishable lines on the paws. The darker the color of the fur, the better it is.

Chinchilla color "black velvet"

Also, when selecting for breeding an animal of this subspecies, special attention should be paid to the shape of the muzzle and ears. For the first, it is better to choose a semicircular shape, for the second - small, round ones. This does not affect the quality of the fur, but it will add the aesthetic beauty of this individual and its selected offspring.

Wilson white (Wilson white) was originally a coffee-cream color scheme, but over time acquired various colors from snow-white to silver. Yellowness reduces the demand for products made from this fur.

Color white velvet obtained by crossing a pair of representatives of the above described colors. This type has dull spots on the head, a white color on the back.

Chinchilla color "white velvet"

Beige color saw the world through a random mutation. A skilled breeder managed not only to save the resulting individual, but also to distribute it among chinchilla lovers. A distinctive feature for them is the ears of coral color and reddish irises.

For homobeige color characterized by the presence of exclusively beige type genes. They stand out from the Hetero-Beiges by having a very brilliant back color with a light coral tint, with creamy lilac ears and lavender eyes. Both subspecies have a white abdomen.

Color brown (hazel) velvet appears to be a hybridization of beige and black velvet. The presence of a pair of dominant genes belonging to the parents is characteristic. The color of the eyes and ears is from a beige representative, the lines of the paws are black. The shade of the fur varies from woody to chocolate.

Chinchilla color "brown velvet"

White and pink chinchillas also have two dominant traits and a lethal allele, that is, a recessive deadly gene. Color is pinkish or smoky. Eye color from light coral to brick. There is a chance of them having brown spots, which is very much appreciated.

Velvet white-pink- quite a valuable and unique color scheme. The color of the back is white, there are brown stripes on the paws, purple ears, burgundy eyes.

Male color "white-pink velvet"

Video - Examples of chinchilla colors

The nuances of crossing chinchillas of the main breeds

In this section, we describe the features of crossing chinchillas. It must be remembered that family ties between chinchillas should be avoided, as this will lead to the degeneration of the breed. The results of most known crosses are presented in the table.

When breeding gray chinchillas, they are used to improve the physical parameters of other individuals: fur density, body weight. Breeders are advised to keep 7-10% of the entire population of high quality representatives of this species.

Chinchilla "black velvet" breakfast

It is worth refusing to hybridize a pair of chinchillas of the velvet gene, since it is not necessary to cross two representatives of black velvet color, because there is a high probability of the absence of offspring or its non-viability. Hybridization with snow-white Wilson gives a shade of snow-white velvet, with heterobeige - coffee velvet, with purple in 2 steps - purple velvet, with sapphire, also in 2 steps - sapphire velvet.

From the Wilsonian snow-white chinchilla, snow-white, silver, mosaic chinchillas are obtained with a similar probability. Representatives of this species, like dark velvet, have a deadly gene, therefore it is not recommended to cross two individuals of the same species. Snow-white velvet is not suitable for further selection, because it inherited 2 lethal genes from its parents. The most successful choice for crossing will be a homo- or hetero-beige chinchilla.

Individuals of beige color are successful for selection. They give offspring with 2 dominant genes. Hybridization with black velvet produces brown velvet , and with snow-white Wilson - pink-white. Beige chinchillas can be crossed with any other. Moreover, it is possible to get a chocolate or smoky color by crossing them with representatives endowed with the ebony gene. One of the manifestations of this gene is a painted abdomen. The degree of color of the abdomen is proportional to the degree of dominance of this gene, so that the less colored the abdomen, the weaker the gene in this individual. It also adds shine to the coat. It is better to combine individuals with the ebony gene with carriers of the same gene to preserve the quality of the fur in the offspring (the ebony gene tends to reduce its influence when crossing).

Homobeige individuals are obtained as a result of crossing two homobeige, two heterobeige, or hetero- and homobeige. This color is very much appreciated by breeders, because it makes it possible to avoid the appearance of ordinary gray cubs. When homobeige individuals are hybridized with ordinary ones, they are heterobeige, with black velvet - brown velvet or heterobeige, with heterobeige - homo- or heterobeige.

Brown velvet, when hybridized with individuals with the ebony gene, makes it possible to obtain a velvet pastel. It is noticeable in the color of the fur of the cubs in the form of a coffee or smoky shade with a painted belly. Also, the result of crossing these subspecies can be a rare younger generation with the presence of beige and velvet genes.

Fur shade - velvet pastel

When combining white-pink and beige chinchillas, homozygous white-pink are obtained. Their characteristic feature is soft brown ears and clear eyes. The lethal gene is present. Can be crossed with regular or dark velvet. In the case of hybridization with the second, up to 8 different combinations can be obtained!

Velvety white-pink has 4 sets of genes from white, beige, gray and velvet counterparts at once. However, when looking for a pair for crossing, it is worth considering the presence of a pair of lethal genes in him at once. good choice can become homo- and heterobeige individuals.

The nuances of crossing minor breeds

individuals snow white ebony They have black and white fur. The degree of saturation of a particular color varies, for example, the main color is white, and black represents only partial blotches on the fur, color of the eyes, ears. White ebony has a lethal gene. This color is derived by crossing white hetero- and homoebony. It is not recommended to hybridize it with representatives of white flowers.

The representatives of the color velvet pastel the color of the back is bronze-brown, velvety lines on the paws. The eyes are mostly brick-colored or a shade close to it. This color is derived by crossing pastels with brown velvet or velvet ebony. When hybridizing velvet pastels and pastels, there is a chance to get rare and valuable cubs with a beautiful chocolate-velvet shade of fur.

Homoebony is now considered the most interesting of the breeding colors. Its color is completely black, but perfectly black individuals are very rare and very expensive. Homoebony is usually bred together with hetero. Cubs are obtained with beautiful fur. There is also a chance to get a homobeige, chocolate brown, lilac individual.

Chinchilla color "homoebony"

heteroebony in turn, they breed better than homo. The coat color can vary from light to dark. The light hybrid has additional white hairs on the tail. You can get it after crossing a homoebony with a gray chinchilla.

Chinchilla color "heteroebony"

Violet (lilac) fur color. The back shimmers with purple tones. Breeders settle standard gray animals with these animals, which are carriers of the purple gene. This method allows you not to lose the quality of the fur.

To get the purple velvet color, you need to go through 2 steps:

1. Hybridization of representatives of black velvet and purple.
2. After that, the resulting individuals are re-crossed with purple.

The fur of this subspecies is purple, darker than that of the common lilac chinchilla.

At the end I would like to mention sapphire color. The fur in this case comes in different shades of blue. Crossing one or a pair of sapphire representatives results in cubs of the same color.

Prices for bathing suits for chinchillas

Bathing for chinchillas Savic

Video - Features of breeding diamond chinchillas

Kingdom: Animals

Type of: Chordates

Class: mammals

Squad: rodents

Family: Chinchilla

Genus: Chinchillas

View: Chinchilla

Where do chinchillas live

The habitat of rodents is the Andes mountain system in South America at an altitude of 400 to 5000 m, adapted to life in the mountains. Their skeleton contracts vertically, allowing the animals to crawl through narrow vertical cracks. A well-developed cerebellum allows the animals to move perfectly along the rocks. Big black eyes, long mustaches - vibrissae, large oval ears - not an accident - this is an adaptation to a twilight lifestyle. With the help of these devices, the rodent sees well and hunts at night. When threats approach, they attack, stand on their hind legs and can bite their teeth

Chinchillas in history

When the Spanish conquerors reached the shores South America, then warm clothes the local population of fur aroused their admiration. The name "chinchilla" fur received from the Spaniards in honor of the Indian tribe Chinchas. An intensive harvest of chinchilla fur for delivery to Europe began. This led to almost the extermination of the wild chinchilla. Many attempts to breed chinchillas in captivity have failed. Since the movement of chinchillas from the mountains to the valley ended in their death. The first who was able to move chinchillas from the mountains, as well as transport them to North America, was M. Chapman.

In 1923, he managed to bring to the United States 11 chinchillas (eight males and three females), which can be considered the ancestors of almost all animals living on farms today. He managed to get offspring from the first three females. After the success of M. Chapman, an extensive development of the experience of breeding chinchillas in captivity began in North America and Canada, and later in Europe and South Africa. A lot of work on the selection of farmers from all over the world has led to a color mutation. The first were white Wilson, beige, black velvet. Currently, chinchillas have gained great popularity among lovers of exotic animals.

General description of chinchillas

There are only two types of chinchillas: small long-tailed and large, they differ from each other in the size of body parts. Long-tailed chinchillas are the most common species, so the further external description will refer specifically to it. Their historical habitat is the Andes. Due to long-term residence in a harsh climate, they acquired thick and warm fur. Its density is more than 25,000 hairs per square centimeter. These herbivores have a small, round head.

In length, individuals are up to 37 cm, with a tail length of up to 18 cm, it has guard hairs. The ears are rounded up to 5 cm, vibrissae (whiskers) up to 10 cm. The vision of chinchillas is monocular and weak. The skeleton is able to decrease in a vertical plane, which makes it possible for rodents to crawl into small cracks. There are 4 toes on the hind feet and five on the front.

Black eyes with vertical pupils help them to be nocturnal. A well-developed cerebellum helps them perfectly coordinate their movements. There are 20 teeth, including 4 incisors and 16 molars. The gums are well developed, the molars are tightly and deeply fixed in them. Newly born animals have 8 molars and 4 incisors, respectively. The incisors protrude strongly and invariably grow, covered with reddish-yellow enamel and narrowish. Their back side is completely devoid of enamel, there is dentin.

A typical gray chinchilla The incisors of rodents have the function of biting off food particles. Indigenous, as in humans, it is customary to divide into molars and premolars. Their sizes can reach 12 mm. The first are large teeth, and they are located on the back of the jaw. They perform the function of mechanical processing of food, grinding. Between the incisors and premolars there is also a special gap - the diastema. Chinchillas have only one set of teeth for life.

Some types of chinchilla coloring

At home, chinchillas are mainly bred, which have the following colors: standard gray, black velvet, white, beige, homobeige, ebony, purple, sapphire. When these colors are crossed, more than 200 different combinations of hybrids arise, some of them have a complex genetic structure and are bred in several stages.

Standard gray

Wild natural color, carrying two recessive genes - aa. Crossing parents of a similar color gives a similar offspring. Among the standard gray chinchillas, light standard, medium standard and dark standard are distinguished, since the color of the fur can vary from light gray to dark gray with a bluish tint on the back and sides and from white to bluish white on the abdomen. On the curves of the body, a play of tones can be observed, since the lower part of the hair is black or bluish, the middle is white, and the upper is black.

Black velvet

The color was first bred in 1960 in the USA. Distinctive features of this color are black diagonal stripes on the front legs, black color of the back and head, white belly.

Chinchillas of this color cannot be crossed with each other, as they have a “lethal gene”, which negatively affects the qualities of the offspring. Crossing with other colors gives the following main types of hybrids: white velvet (with Wilson's white); brown velvet (with heterobeige); purple velvet (with purple in two stages); sapphire velvet (with sapphire in two stages), etc.
Wilson white, mosaic (or white velvet), silver. This color, first obtained in 1955 in the USA, is dominant, contains a "lethal gene". The appearance of heterozygous individuals is different, the color of the fur is from snow-white to dark silver.

White chinchillas

Carriers of the recessive lethal gene”, resulting from the crossing of two white parents. Therefore, animals that are carriers of this gene are not crossed with each other.

Recessiveness is a form of relationship between two genes, in which one of them has less strong influence on the corresponding traits of an individual than another.

In relation to the standard gray, the white gene is dominant, and as a result of crossing, both white and standard animals are born.

Color white velvet

It can be obtained by crossing black velvet and white wilson. As a result, the individual receives white, black velvet and standard genes. White velvet, which has the effect of double dominance, is characterized by white fur, a dark “mask” on the head, dark gray diagonal stripes on the front legs.
Crossing white velvet with animals of the following colors should be avoided: white velvet, black velvet, brown velvet, purple velvet, sapphire velvet, as well as white, white-pink, white ebony. This is due to the fact that white velvet carries two "lethal genes" characteristic of white Wilson and black velvet.

Beige color

It was first obtained in 1955. Animals in which the beige color is dominant are characterized by pink to dark red eyes and pink ears, sometimes with black dots. Fur color varies from light to dark beige. Dominance is a form of relationship between paired genes, in which one of them has a stronger influence on the corresponding traits of an individual than the other.

Beige chinchillas are homozygous, so they perfectly interbreed with others. The result is wonderful hybrids.

Beige homozygous

AND animals of this color do not have a "lethal gene", they can be homozygous. Beige homozygous chinchillas are distinguished by light cream fur with a pinkish sheen, pink ears, light pink pupils with a light blue or white circle around the pupil.

As a result of crossing a homobeige animal with a standard one, heterobeige puppies are born. When hetero-beige are crossed with each other - hetero- and homo-beige individuals, the most successful pairs for which are white-pink, brown velvet, white velvet, velvet heteroebony, velvet homoebony.

Heterozygous beige

The combination of two heterozygous beige chinchillas gives 25% homozygous beige, 50% heterozygous beige, 25% gray animals.
Crossing a heterozygous beige and standard gray produces an equal number of heterozygous beige and standard chinchillas.

Brown velvet

Obtained as a result of crossing the colors black velvet and beige. Hybrids of this species have a white belly and back - from light to dark. So that the number of cubs in the litter does not decrease, it is not recommended to cross between animals that have the black velvet gene.

white-pink

Obtained by crossing beige and white chinchillas with beige, white and standard genes.

Due to double dominance, there is the possibility of beige and white genes. The ears of such animals are pink with black dots, the eyes are from pink to dark ruby, the fur is white. Brown spots of various shapes and locations are allowed.

Homoebony

Color is currently not thoroughly studied. Chinchillas of this color are distinguished by a beautiful shine and a special silkiness of the fur. However, breeding such animals is a rather difficult task, since homoebony grow more slowly and have smaller sizes compared to other hybrids.

heteroebony

The genotype of animals of this color contains the genes standard and ebony. Obtaining a dark heteroebony chinchilla is possible by crossing a male of a similar color with a light standard female.

The resulting individuals can be light, medium, dark, very dark. Crossing with a beige animal leads to the appearance of a pastel color. Heteroebony is the result of crossing homoebony and standard chinchilla, homoebony and heteroebony, heteroebony and standard, heteroebony with each other.

Velvet ebony

Velvet ebony are hybrids of black velvet, homoebony and heteroebony, having genes for black velvet, standard and ebony.

The presence of the velvet gene in heteroebony is determined by the dark color of the back and the “mask” on the head. Velvet homoebony are distinguished by light fur on the sides, dark fur color. Diagonal black stripes on the legs are not visible. The black color of the belly indicates the presence of the ebony gene.

Velvet heteroebony

Obtained by crossing heteroebony with black velvet, velvet homoebony - by combining velvet heteroebony with homoebony or heteroebony. These individuals have shiny fur, close in decorativeness to the homoebony color. However, it is undesirable to cross between velvet chinchillas due to the presence of a “lethal gene”.

purple color

Relating to recessive mutations, it manifests itself only in the homozygous state. The result of crossing with standard chinchillas are standard animals that carry a purple gene that does not appear externally. The color of the fur of such animals varies from light to dark lilac. The belly has a snow-white color.

The purple color is quite rare, as purple chinchillas only start breeding at 14-18 months. But despite the difficulties that breeders face when breeding, these hybrids occupy the second most popular place in Europe after animals bearing ebony genes.

purple velvet

A hybrid of black velvet, homoviolet, having the black velvet gene, standard, and purple. The fur of the animal is dark lilac, the belly is white, diagonal dark stripes are located on the paws. The black velvet gene affects the basic purple color, making it darker.

The hybrid is bred in two stages: when black-velvet and purple chinchillas are combined, animals with the black velvet genotype, a carrier of purple, are obtained, which are then crossed with purple. The resulting puppies may have different color, one of which is ultraviolet.

Sapphire

The sapphire color is recessive. When crossed with a standard chinchilla, puppies are obtained that are standard carriers of sapphire, which does not appear externally. The combination of two sapphire or one sapphire and a sapphire carrier results in sapphire animals. The color of the fur is preserved throughout the life of the animal.

In 1967, the first purple chinchilla appeared in Zimbabwe. Her cubs were bought in 1975 by a Californian fur breeder, who began breeding animals of this color.

Lifestyle

The biology of chinchillas in natural habitats has been little studied; basic data on behavior, reproduction, and physiology are obtained in artificial conditions. Most of the data refer to long-tailed chinchillas due to their massive captive breeding.

A strongly developed cerebellum provides good coordination of movements necessary for safe movement on the rocks.

Chinchillas are herbivores. The basis of their diet consists of various herbaceous plants, mainly cereals, also seeds, mosses, lichens, shrubs, tree bark, and small insects. In captivity, only dried foods (such as dried apples, carrots, hay, nettles, and dandelion roots) are eaten, with pellets as the main food.

Chinchillas make very interesting sounds: when they don't like something, they make a sound similar to quacking or chirping. If they are very angry, they begin to make sounds similar to growling or blowing their nose, and sometimes at the same time they click their teeth very quickly. If they hit hard or get very frightened, they can squeal very loudly. But chinchillas are not defenseless - when threatened, they can attack: they stand high on their hind legs, begin to “growl”, let out a stream of urine, and then bite with their teeth.

What do chinchillas eat?

Chinchillas eat a variety of herbaceous plants, mosses, cereals and legume plant, as well as shrubs, cacti, tree bark, as well as insects.

Chinchilla breeding

Chinchillas reach sexual maturity at eight months of age. When possible, they form monogamous pairs. Pregnancy lasts quite a long time - 105 - 110 days, so females can give birth no more than two to three times a year. Usually 2-4 almost fully developed babies are born. They have open eyes, erupted teeth, they are completely covered with hair and are able to move independently.

Chinchilla at home

Behavior

Chinchillas are not so easily tamed, but, having got used to the owner, they become the kindest and very sociable pets.

Each chinchilla is, first of all, an individual. The animal can be obstinate and capricious, or it can have a truly angelic character. But much in the behavior of a pet depends on how correctly the owner is taming it.

However, there are features that are common to all chinchillas. These are extremely inquisitive, lively and quick-witted animals. When starting a chinchilla, it is worth understanding that the peak of activity of these rodents occurs at night. In addition, chinchillas are very talkative. They can coo, grumble or hoot, and an attentive owner, having studied the habits of his pet, can easily determine his mood by the “manner of speech” alone.

If you are not afraid of the possible prospect of waking up at night from the noise made by the animal, start a chinchilla without hesitation. These are very interesting, curious and open animals, which often become our best friends.

Taming a chinchilla

You need to tame a chinchilla to your hands gradually and in no case immediately after moving to a new place, because in the first days in a new house the rodent experiences stress. At least 3-4 days after the move, it is recommended not to disturb the chinchilla so that it can adapt to new conditions in a mode that is comfortable for it. When the pet feels calmer, start accustoming him to hands.

To do this, simply open the cage and place your hands palms up before leaving. Use a little trick and put a treat in your palm to lure the rodent. If the chinchilla is in no hurry to get into your palm, you should not rush things and pull it out of the cage: such “taming” will not bring the desired effect, but will only make the animal more shy. Just try to repeat your actions the next day. When the chinchilla first climbs into your palm, do not immediately start stroking it and picking it up. At first, she should just get used to your smell and understand that you are not a threat to her. Gradually, she will begin to calmly allow herself to be picked up, stroked, put on her shoulder and will not be afraid of you at all.

Health and life expectancy

Chinchillas are strong and hardy rodents, real centenarians. The average life expectancy is 8-10 years, but in captivity, with good maintenance, chinchillas often live up to 20 years or more. It should be borne in mind that rodents are very shy and frequent stresses have an extremely negative effect on their health.

Chinchilla is a fairly large and very active rodent, which needs a spacious cage for a comfortable and fulfilling life (at least 60x50x60 cm for one individual). It is best to choose a cage with metal rods and a pull-out tray. The metal is resistant to moisture and disinfectants, and the pull-out tray makes cleaning much easier. By the way, the cage must have a strong and reliable lock, as quick-witted chinchillas are passionate doorcrackers and escape lovers.

A feeder and a drinking bowl, a mineral stone for grinding teeth, wooden shelves, a house in which the rodent will rest, and a sennitsa must be placed in a chinchilla's cage. A special filler is placed on the bottom (corn filler or sawdust), in no case paper or cotton wool.

Your pet will be grateful to you if you give him a running wheel (with a diameter of 30 cm), special toys, rings, all kinds of ladders and even a hammock made of dense fabric.

As for washing, in nature, chinchillas bathe in sand, and getting water on their fur is undesirable. Bathing with sand, as a rule, is not installed in a cage, otherwise the chinchilla will abuse “bath procedures”, which will dry out her skin. The best thing is to provide a bathing suit for the rodent while you clean the cage. Busy with business, the pet will not interfere at hand, and you will calmly bring his home in order.

Garbage from the cage is removed daily, and general cleaning with replacement of the filler is carried out at least once a week.

The cage should be located away from drafts, direct sunlight, heaters and strong sources of noise.

Feeding

Never give chinchillas table food! Unnatural food for them causes bloating and indigestion.

The best choice for chinchillas is special ready-made feeds. All ingredients in their composition are selected taking into account the needs of the chinchilla's body, and the elements are carefully balanced.

Chinchillas have very sensitive digestion, and the diet of these animals must be approached responsibly. Any deviation from proper diet can cause significant harm to the body and provoke a severe disorder.

The daily diet of a chinchilla necessarily includes hay. It is advisable to use hay from trusted brands, it is purified and completely safe. Use dried apples, pears, carrots, rose hips, etc. as treats. They are given in limited quantities and in no case replace the main diet.

AT last years it became fashionable to have chinchillas as pets. Many owners take a deep interest in the pedigree and genes of their pets. A separate big interesting topic are the colors of chinchillas.

Standard

Natural or standard color of chinchilla - grey. Its feature is light and dark areas on the axial hair. Therefore, the skin of a chinchilla of a standard color pockmarked. The darkest area is the back, the tummy is completely white. Such colors of chinchillas, as standard, have a variety of variations: from dark to light silver-gray.

Animals with an even extra-dark skin color are used for crossing with individuals of the Black Velvet color. Light grays are planted with purple, beige and sapphire chinchillas.

Black velvet

Rodents of this type have a clear dark mask, no light areas around the eyes and gloves on their paws. The colors of black chinchillas are characterized by rich shades. A distinctive feature of these animals is crook in the nose. Qualitative color excludes the presence of a smooth transition from the black body to the white abdomen, it should be sharp.

Chinchilla colors such as "Black Velvet" are of good quality if they do not have ripples and poorly painted areas on the neck and legs. Animals of this color are crossed with any other colors, except

Beige

This color includes a range of shades from dark brown to light beige. A characteristic feature of these animals is dark red eyes and tufts on the ears.

The most valuable colors of heterobeige chinchillas are cold gray and coffee. The rusty shade of the coat is unpopular with breeders. Beige chinchillas are planted with animals of any color.

white wilson

Characteristics of a good white coat: dark ring at the root of the tail, black eyes, dark gray ears and perfect white fur.

Forms of "White Wilson"

Silver. Part of the axial hair has black areas, due to which blurry gray spots are visible on the fur.

Mosaic. The presence of spots on the fur of a chinchilla, from black to gray.

Extramosaic- a rare form. It is characterized by the presence of dark spots on the skin of the animal with clear boundaries.

Platinum. The fur coat of the animal is, as it were, covered with a gray veil.

Tricolor - the rarest variety of chinchilla color. Combines white, black and gray colors, creating bizarre stripes and spots on the animal's fur.

White velvet

The animals of this color are similar to the "White Wilson", but have the following peculiarities: dark mask, diagonal stripes on the paws, wide limbs, velvet fluff on the nose. Ears are gray or black. The presence of dark spots and sputtering is not a sign of marriage. "White velvet" has many forms, formed by various combinations of spots.

Brown velvet

One of the rarest colors chinchillas. Such animals have pinkish ears covered with dark dots, cherry eyes, brown stripes on their paws, and a clear mask. It sits well with white, beige and homobeige colors.

violet

Breeders are still working on animals of this type, trying to stabilize it. character traits. Quality colors of purple chinchillas have bright colors of fur and white belly. The Violet's ears are pink. The presence of yellowish and milky wool on the abdomen is a sign of marriage.

Sapphire

Animals of this type have blue fur with light ripples. The ears and nose of "sapphires" are pink, the belly is white. Work on improving this breed is ongoing. There are several types

sapphire velvet;

blue diamond;

sapphire ebony.

In the article I will list several popular colors of chinchillas: standard, velvet (black and brown), pastel, ebony (homo and hetero), beige, mosaic, white wilson and others. I will also bring brief description each of the types.

Existing colors of chinchillas

There are more than 20 various options chinchilla color.

Almost all variants are the result of long-term selection work. Using the results of random mutations, breeders have developed many color variations that differ from each other not only in shades, but also in the structure of the coat.

Among them there are both common shades (homobeige, agouti) and rare ones with a complex genetic structure (blue slate, charcoal, white-pink ebony).

The color of a chinchilla can be dominant, manifested in the phenotype of the animal, or recessive, in which the animal is a carrier of the gene responsible for a certain shade.

Standard

Standard or agouti is the only color found in nature. The fur of such a chinchilla has: from ashy to graphite. On the back it is darker, the sides are several shades lighter, the belly and the tips of the paws are almost white. The hair is blue-gray with a black tip.

Includes palette: from light beige to dark.

The first beige chinchilla was obtained in 1955.

The back is colored darker than the rest of the body, the belly is white. The ears are pinkish-beige with light pigment spots resembling freckles. The iris of the eyes is pink to dark ruby.

Beige homozygous

The fur of such chinchillas is beige or cream, evenly dyed and without pronounced zoning. The eyes are pink, sometimes with a blue rim. Ears are pale beige.

When two beige individuals are crossed, non-viable offspring is born.

The fact is that the gene responsible for the homozygous color is lethal.

In this version of the mosaic, the animal White wool with blurry silvery areas. The head and the base of the tail are colored darker.

The rules for the inheritance of mosaic coloration have not yet been fully studied, so the color is rare and expensive.

The body is white, with a smoky veil running down the back.

Ears and head grey. Dark eyes. Throughout the body are scattered pronounced gray spots. Individuals with bright, well-defined spots are considered the most valuable.

white-pink

Another name is beige mosaic. The coat is white with a beige sheen and pinkish-beige or gray patches or without them. The ears are pale pink with pigment spots. Scarlet eyes.

Reference: to get a pet with this color, you need to cross carriers of four genes at once, so this option is rare.

Black velvet

One of the most original colors in existence was obtained in the United States of America in 1961. The head and body of such a fluffy are painted black, the sides are gray, and the belly is snow-white. Ears and eyes are dark.

Individuals with dark, almost black sides are considered the most valuable.

The peculiarity of this color is the gradual manifestation of color. Cubs are born with light fur, which begins to darken with age.

Reference: the gene responsible for the black shade of wool is lethal, so two black individuals cannot be crossed.

Brown velvet

The predominant color in this color is brown (from light to chocolate). On the sides, it smoothly turns into beige and becomes almost white on the stomach. There is a dark mask on the head, front and hind legs are covered with diagonal stripes. Eyes with a red tint. The coat on the hind legs is more voluminous.

Brightness and saturation of color appear as they grow older.

At birth, the cubs are light brown, with a creamy tint. Saturation begins to appear after 3 months.

Another name for extradark. One of the rarest and most spectacular colors. The price of such a chinchilla reaches several thousand euros. The fur is thick, shiny, coal-black, evenly colored. There are no stains, veils and inclusions of a different color. The eyes and ears are black.

heteroebony

This color is rare and expensive.

Chinchilla heteroebony can be:

• light. The base is white or beige combined with gray, brown or black.
• medium light. Cream or light brown with patches of gray or brown.
• average. Combination of dark gray and white shades.
• dark. Combination of black and various shades of gray.

A distinctive feature of all these variations is a completely painted belly.

Fur color varies from light gray or white to lilac. The belly is white. The ears are dark gray with a bluish-whitish tint. Dark colored eyes. The fur of such animals is thick and delicate.

The first purple chinchilla was obtained in North Africa in 1960.

There are 2 color options for white ebony:

1. With a predominance of white or light beige (very rare) and black spots.
2. With a predominance of black and white markings.

The spots are located on the head, ears, paws, at the base of the tail and sometimes on the sides. Ears and eyes are dark.

Pastel

The color of the fur varies from creamy to chocolate. The belly is slightly lighter or has the same color as the rest of the body. Ears are light beige, eyes with a red tint.

Little chinchillas are born white, and the color is acquired only after 3 months.

Sapphire

Animals with this color differ from their counterparts in smaller sizes. Their coat is bluish-gray with an elongated graphite veil. Belly color is white. On the ears there is a thin light edge. The eyes are dark.

A small number of carriers, complex genetics and a predisposition to diseases make sapphire chinchillas one of the most difficult mutations to breed.

The first sapphire chinchilla was registered in 1963 in the USA.

Each of these color options is unique in its own way. They differ from each other in price, quality and structure of fur and genetic code. Therefore, when choosing a pet, you need to think in advance about the purpose of its acquisition. For breeding, it is better to take one of the owners of rare genes, from which there will be a chance to get unique offspring. And for the role of a pet, you can choose an affectionate animal without a pedigree.