Chinchillidae

The family Chinchillidae contains the chinchillas, viscachas, and their fossil relatives. They are restricted to southern and western South America. Often they can be found in the Andes. They are large rodents, weighing from 800 grams to 8 kilograms. They have strong hind legs and large ears. All species have thick, soft fur. Their fur is considered valuable in some species.^[1]

Chinchillidae Temporal range: late Oligocene – Recent
Chinchilla brevicaudata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Suborder:	Hystricomorpha
Infraorder:	Hystricognathi
Parvorder:	Caviomorpha
Superfamily:	Chinchilloidea
Family:	Chinchillidae Bennett, 1833

Classification

There are three extant and three fossil genera currently recognized.

• †Eoviscaccia incertae sedis
• Subfamily Chinchillinae
  • Chinchilla – chinchillas
  • Lagidium – mountain viscachas
• Subfamily Lagostominae
  • Lagostomus – plains viscachas
  • †Pliolagostomus
  • †Prolagostomus