Handing your chinchilla

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Your chinchilla is a quick little animal that is easily frightened. If he has been startled before you open his cage, he may dart from corner to corner. Slowly reach into the cage with one hand and follow the animal around until you can firmly grasp the tail near the base. Yes, the tail! This is an acceptable and proper way to pick up a chinchilla. As you catch his tail, position your other hand under his body, particularly his strong hind legs, and remove him from the cage in an upside-down position. Take care that you do not lose him because he is extremely strong and can jump a great distance. An unexpected fall can cause a broken bone or internal injury.

If your animal is calm or tamed and has not been previously startled, you may be able to reach into the cage and pick up the animal with both hands in a scooping motion. As your animal gets used to being handled more, this will become easier and easier. NEVER catch your chinchilla by his back or his neck. This may cause possible injury and fur loss. Do not squeeze him around his ribs since they have a floating rib cage and this can cause internal injuries.

Occasionally a chinchilla may bite. He is not normally a mean animal but, if frightened or overly excited, he may try to bite. Sometimes, their nibbles of curiosity may become a little harder than you care for. If a chinchilla’s bite breaks the skin, it is not cause for alarm. Rinse it and care for it in the same manner you would normally care for a scrape.

Like any animal, surroundings without loud noises are best. A steady flow of music will help neutralize most noises and create a greater degree of uniformity to their environment.
If your animal gets loose and you are having trouble catching it, a fish net or live trap works well. When you are unable to find where he has disappeared to, look in the darkest, most remote corner. He will probably be there.

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Article By : http://www.mutationchinchillas.com/

Native environment

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In their native habitat, chinchillas live in burrows or crevices in rocks. They are agile jumpers and can jump very high, up to 5 feet. Predators in the wild include hawks, skunks, felines, and canines. In the wild chinchillas have been observed eating plants, fruits, seeds, and small insects, [6] though this diet could irritate the digestive system of a domestic chinchilla whose diet should be primarily hay-based. [7]

In nature, chinchillas live in colonies. Chinchilla females are significantly bigger than males. Chinchillas can breed any time of the year. At 111 days, they have a very long gestation period compared to other rodents. Due to this long pregnancy, chinchillas are born fully furred and with eyes open. Litters are usually small in number, predominately twins. [8]

Article By : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinchilla

COLORS

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White

White cannot be obtained in the homozygous state because two of the dominant genes are lethal when they occur in the same animal. Depending on the color that these animals are bred with, different patterns will show themselves in the offspring. In the silvering pattern, there is a very short, dark tip on the end of many of the fur fibers and there is blue underfur instead of white underfur.

In a show, white chinchillas are divided into the following categories:
1. Predominantly white
2. White with dark guard hairs
3. White with pink/beige markings
4. White mosaic/ broken pattern
5. Silver (has color in underfur and a bar)

Sapphire

A recessive mutation that has a crystal clear blue veiling, a white bar and a soft light blue underfur. It has pink ears and a light colored tail.

In a show, sapphire chinchillas are divided into the following categories:
1. Light
2. Medium
3. Dark
4. Extra Dark
5. Wrap

Violet

A beautiful lavender or lavender/violet color with nice even veiling, good clear white belly, nice texture and good overall appearance. It has beautiful lavender type underfur and a pale lavender bar.

In a show, violet chinchillas are divided into the following categories:
1. Light
2. Medium
3. Dark
4. Extra Dark
5. Wrap

Beige

This mutation is a complete dominant with no lethal factor and a homozygous animal can occur. The homozygous animal has a much lighter and finer type of fur than the heterozygous beige. Its eyes can vary from a very pale pink to a ruby color. Generally, the darker heterozygous beige has the darker eyes and the homozygous animal has the lighter eyes.

In a show, beige chinchillas are divided into the following categories:
1. Light
2. Medium
3. Dark
4. Extra Dark
5. Extra Dark (usually Beige/Black cross)
6. Wraps (Tans)

Naturalle

In chinchillas, the standard color is a pearl-blue-gray in six different color variations ranging from light/medium to extra dark. This animal is sometimes known as a standard. The standard has an agouti-fur pattern meaning that it has a tip, bar and underfur. All agouti-patterned animals are lighter colored on their under parts.

In a show, naturalle chinchillas are divided into the following categories:
1. Light/Medium
2. Medium
3. Dark/Medium
4. Medium/Dark
5. Dark
6. Extra Dark

Charcoal/Ebony

Ebonies can range from “every hair shiny black” to an animal that looks almost like a standard. Ebonies have gray or black bellies and no bar.

In a show, ebony chinchillas are divided into the following categories.
1. Light
2. Medium
3. Dark
4. Extra Dark

Black

This peculiar type of dominant has a black “cape” extending over the head, neck and back of the animal. The sides are gray. The animal has a very bright appearance and a clear white belly.

In a show black chinchillas are divided into the following categories:
1. Light
2. Medium
3. Dark
4. Extra Dark

NOTE: Maintaining accurate records is important because a recessive gene may be carried for generations without expressing itself until such time as it is matched with a mate carrying the same gene. If a recessive is mated to a standard, it will produce all standard offspring; those offspring will carry the recessive gene. If that standard that is a carrier for recessive is mated to a recessive, they will produce on an average 50% recessive and 50% standard carrier offspring. If two recessives are mated together, they will produce 100% of that mutation. By using this method, improvements in size or fur qualities may be done.

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Article By : mutationchinchillas.com

Genetic Information

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MUTATIONS - Colors & Blends Defined

Mutation - a change in a gene, potentially capable of being transmitted. In the fur industry the term mutation refers to colors other than standard.

TERMINOLOGY

Allelic Genes - Genes that occupy the same position on a specific pair or chromosomes and control the heredity of a particular characteristic such as eye color, density or fur color.

Dominant - When a gene is called dominant, it is implying that it is dominant to the standard. In the breeding of dominants, the simple basic rule is: If you cannot see it, it is not there as there are no carriers for dominant genes. An animal that has one mutation gene is hetero, two of the same genes is homo and if they have one of one color and one of another color, they are blends.

Double Dominant - An animal carrying two different dominant genes.

Recessive - Opposite of dominant. A recessive gene has no effect of phenotype homozygous. A recessive is homozygous and every time it breeds it passes on its recessive gene. To produce a recessive, one must have the recessive gene in both parents; it is dependent upon what it is mated to as to what it will produce.

Double Recessive - An animal carrying two different recessive genes.

Genotype - Genes which make up each characteristic an animal possesses. Each pair of genes determines the genotype for a different characteristic although it may not be visible. This classification is made on the basis of genetic formulas.

Phenotype - The composition of visible, genetically determined characteristics (such as color) which may appear alike, but which may differ in genetic makeup. In other words, it is what you see.

Heterozygous - Genetically impure, having unlike genes. An animal carrying two different color genes, one from each parent. Sometimes referred to as half-blood. An animal with one dominant and one recessive gene for a particular trait is heterozygous.

Homozygous - Purebred. When the animal inherits the same gene from both parents. It is also sometimes referred to as a full-blood.

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Article By : mutationchinchillas.com

Description

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These beautiful creatures are members of the rodent family. The Latin word for rodent is rodere which means 'to gnaw'. Fully grown they are about 12 inches long and weigh between 18 - 35 ounces, the female being bigger than the male. They are similar in size to a small rabbit with squirrel-like tails. Chinchillas have more fur per square inch than any other known animal.

Chinchillas are nocturnal animals and so they sleep during the day and become more active at night. They are easy to look after, rarely aggressive, very clean and have practically no smell at all. Their fur is so dense that they do not attract fleas or parasites. Once used to the handler they can be very affectionate and love to be scratched under the chin and behind the ears.

Chinchillas are becoming very popular pets, however, it is well to remember that they can live for up to 20 years (the average is about 10 years) and must therefore be accommodated appropriately within the home.If you do not have time for a long-term pet then a chinchilla is NOT for you.

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