Adorable Violet Chinchillas Look Perfectly Round From Behind (16 Pics)

Chinchillas are rodents belonging to the Chinchillidae family in the suborder Hystricognatha and are related to guinea pigs and degus. There are two species of chinchilla, the short-tailed chinchilla, Chinchilla chinchilla, and the long-tailed chinchilla, Chinchilla lanigera. Chinchillas are native to South America, specifically the dry climate of the Andean mountains of Chile, Bolivia, and Peru. They live in colonies in extensive burrow systems.