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

Both species are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature because of a drastic population decline due to illegal hunting for the fur trade and reduction of habitat quality (IUCN, 2013). Early attempts at captive breeding for fur production enjoyed limited success; however, with improvements in colony management, chinchilla fur farms became established. Today, chinchillas are successfully bred in captivity for their fur, for the pet trade, and for biomedical research.