Chinchillas are crepuscular rodents, slightly larger and more robust than squirrels. Native to South America’s Andes mountains, they are named after the Chincha people of that region. They once lived in parts of Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Chile, but by 1900, they had become quite rare due to hunting. Currently, most chinchillas used by the fur industry are farm-raised. Due to (now illegal) hunting, they are critically endangered with a population loss of 90% in the last 15 years.