Chinchillas are really tiny weighing between 1-2 pounds and are typically reach anyway from 12-20 inches from to head to tail. These rodents are native to the Andes Mountains of northern Chile and live in elevations of 3000 to 5000 meters (9,800 to 16,400 feet). Chinchillas are covered in thick fur in order to withstand the cold mountains where the average temperature can be -5 to -10 degrees Celsius (15-20 degrees Fahrenheit). However, this also means that they don’t do well in high temperatures and humidity which can cause them to have heat stroke.
Chinchillas are nocturnal animals and make their home by taking shelter in tiny rock crevasses or burrowing into the ground and creating a network of underground tunnels.