Chinchillas are rabbit-sized, crepuscular rodents native to the Andes mountains in South America. Along with their relatives, viscachas, they belong to the family Chinchillidae. History The animal (whose name literally means "little Chincha") is named after the Chincha people of the Andes, who wore its soft and dense fur. http://www.davidson-chinchillas.co.uk/pages/what_is_a_chinchilla_.php By the end of the 19th century, chinchillas had become quite rare due to hunting for their fur. http://www.chincare.com/HealthLifestyle/JEJ/JEJExtirpation1995.pdf The first literature reference to chinchillas dates back to 1591 in a book published in Seville, entitled Historia Natural y Moral de los Indios, written by Father Josef de Acosta: (from Spanish) "About mountain animals. Chinchillas are another type of small animals such as squirrels. They have a fur (coat) that is of wonderful softness"