Many people may be a little unfamiliar with Totoro. In fact, its nickname is the South American chinchilla, which is a special rodent that is mainly found in South America. Due to the praise of the classic Japanese animated movie "My Neighbor Totoro", more and more people in China have begun to pay attention to and love this healthy and dexterous pet.
Regarding the morphological characteristics of chinchillas, it is necessary to mention their unique appearance. The chinchilla has a short and fat body with a short tail, a bluish-gray or grayish-brown hair on the head and back, and a white belly. In addition, Totoro has a pair of large, flexible eyes with black eyeballs that sparkle with light; The tentacles on both sides of the mouth and nose are long and curved, and have a beautiful shape; The rounded ears are wide and thin, and they can freely adjust the direction to obtain sound signals; The forelimbs are shorter and have a total of five toes, while the hind legs are comparatively longer and have a total of four toes, so they are quite agile to walk. The most striking thing is undoubtedly its long gray-white tail, the tip of which is grayish-white, covered with fluffy and soft gray fluff, which is very ornamental. In general, Totoro's form is vivid and interesting, bringing people a high visual enjoyment.
The way chinchillas breed is relatively simple. Female chinchillas can give birth to three to twelve cubs per litter, with an average birth cycle of about six weeks. It is worth noting that due to its excellent reproductive ability, it is extremely rare in the wild, and the chinchillas seen on the market today are all bred in captivity. In recent years, through continuous efforts to breed, there are now a variety of colors for people to choose from, such as blue, green, beige, charcoal, black, white and silver.
My Neighbor Totoro's habits. First of all, chinchillas prefer to live in dry and cool environments, with temperatures ranging from 18°C to 22°C. Secondly, chinchillas are nocturnal animals and usually go out at night to feed, and their staple diet is high-fiber herbaceous plants and shrub plants. Sometimes, chinchillas also choose to eat fruits and nuts. In terms of daily life, Totoro is very cheerful and lively, very fond of playing, and always curious about new things. It has been observed that Totoro is good at jumping and running extremely fast, but due to his short and fat body, his jump height is not very high. Moreover, they are friendly and close to humans and are known as ideal family companion pets.
Regarding the way of breeding, many friends may choose to use wire mesh cages or low plastic houses to raise chinchillas, which is actually not scientific. Totoro belongs to wild animals, and they need plenty of space to stretch and play. Therefore, we should provide a spacious, high-height chinchilla cage with a variety of bedding and toys inside, and change it regularly to provide them with a suitable living environment. Dental care is also very important for chinchillas, who need teething sticks or molars. In order to avoid oral problems, it is necessary to ensure that they have enough time to grind their teeth every day.
My chinchilla's diet is also very crucial. Because in the wild, they mainly feed on nut foods; In a domestic environment, you can be fed some hay, vegetables and fruits. It should be noted that the evening is the best time for chinchillas to eat, so it is also necessary to follow such a pattern for feeding.
Regarding the behavioral characteristics and care methods of chinchillas, we have to emphasize the characteristic that they are less daring. Compared to other pets, wild chinchillas are more cautious and take a long time to adapt to their new environment. When you meet for the first time, try to choose a quiet, softly lit place to place your chinchilla cage, and give it proper care and companionship every day, so that it can gradually adapt to the new family environment. It is worth mentioning that although chinchillas are not aggressive, they still need to be protected from startling, otherwise they may experience negative emotions such as nervousness, anxiety, and even lead to the occurrence of diseases.