Species Spotlight

CHIN-CHILLIN’ AROUND

Roll on in to Orlando Science Center for the chance to meet two of our fluffiest Animal Ambassadors! Luna and Poppy are short-tailed chinchillas (Chinchilla chinchilla) and they have been having a ball getting in their exercise all around OSC.

Chinchillas have soft dense fur, large dark eyes, velvety round ears and are smaller than a house cat, making them popular domesticated pets in the U.S. These rodents may be related to guinea pigs, but don’t let their small size fool you. They are incredibly athletic and agile, leaping up to 6 feet in distance!

Chinchillas are native to the Andes Mountains in South America and are highly social, living in groups of up to 100 individuals in the wild. Built for that cold, harsh environment, their fur has been a driving force behind their dramatic population decline. Although the entire domesticated population within the U.S. is believed to have descended from 11 individuals imported to the US in the 1920’s, the wild population of short-tailed chinchillas has declined by 90% of its original numbers. This is primarily due to a strong demand in the 1800s for their fur and meat. By the early 1900s, short-tailed chinchillas were on the brink of extinction, and they are still endangered today. New demands such as illegal hunting, habitat loss for grazing livestock, mining, and logging continue to threaten these charismatic animals.

By providing up close animal encounters and conservation messaging about this endearing species, we hope to inspire our guests to want to preserve wild places. Stop by our daily Life With Animals presentation for the chance to meet Luna and Poppy and to learn how you can be an advocate for this species!