Chinchillidae is the family of chinchillas and viscachas, medium to large rodents restricted to southern and western South America, mostly in the mountainous Andes, with one species living on plains. Weighing from eight hundred grams to eight kilograms, they have large eyes, medium ears, soft dense fur and short bushy tails, live in colonies that can number in the hundreds, and are herbivorous. Chinchillas have been driven to critical endangerment by historical overhunting for the fur trade, while viscacha populations remain comparatively stable.
Facts
Taxonomic Rank Sources
1. Wikipedia: Chinchillidae
WikipediaIntroductionQuote, Introduction
The family Chinchillidae is in the order Rodentia and consists of the chinchillas, the viscachas, and their fossil relatives.
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