Chinchillas by the Bay

Chinchillas poop up to 200 times a day, according to the San Francisco Aquarium by the Bay. When I was there, the chinchilla on display was not pooping; however, I don't understand how they have time to do much else!

Meet the Staff

The Manager of The Jungle Store is such an animal lover, she won't even eat them! She has owned Rats, Guinea Pigs, Frogs, Ducks, Geese, Turtles, Hamsters, Hedgehogs, Cockatiels, Gerbils, Chinchillas, Mice (which were saved from being fed to the class snake) and Fish. She would have shared her life with more critters, but her brother had pet allergies.

14 Million Americans suffer allergic reactions to pets. This is primarily caused by the pet's dander – tiny bits of skin that slough off daily. There are dog and cat breeds that cause only mild reactions, sometimes none at all. While researching the pet that is best suited to you and your family, you may wish to take the "allergy factor" into account.

Now that our Manager has her own home, she shares her life with these friends:
Hermit crabs Mr. Crabs, Crabby Patty and Patrick Star (he's the one in the pink shell). Some might say that Hermit crabs are easy to tend to, but they do require special care and a warm, moist environment.

Raisin is her owner's favorite companion. She was chosen out of foster care when she was 8 months old. Her mom was a Shar Pei, her dad, a mystery. Raisin loves to sleep, nap and dress-up. She's a great runner and finished third in our local Dog & Jog race. She promises a first place finish this year.

Wild ones endangered

Chinchillas are endangered mainly due to hunting for their fur. It takes 100 pelts to make one fur coat! Those loss of habitat has adversely affected wild chinchillas as well.

Chinchillas are rabbit sized, have big mouse like ears, squirrel-shaped bodies, and bushy tails.

These South American rodents are also raised as pets. Here is a video of a pet mother chinchilla and her babies. You can hear them squeak.

JJ