Two different types of chins?

Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum

Help Support Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

JennyBug

Sometimes I love too much
Joined
Feb 1, 2009
Messages
658
Location
Indiana
OK, I posted a little while ago with questions about introducing chins, but I just remembered something else I wanted to ask you all about...

The first chinnie we adopted is a very "normal" looking chin. She has rounded ears and a chubby looking body (she's not overweight, just really REALLY thick coated). Our second chin looks different. She has a much leaner, longer body, and her ears are taller and look a little pointier (one of our friends visited soon after we got her and asked us why we had gotten a bunny). Is it possible that they are two different types of chins? We've tried to research, but many of the websites dealing with different species get very technical and I am but a humble English teacher... Can anyone help us out? :confused:
 
Lanigera is the more lean, streamlined looking body type and brevi is the more blocky, brick like shape.

Is that what you needed?
 
I thought one type was extinct. I'll try to get some pictures of them up when I get home. I might just be seeing things that aren't there; these are the first two chins we've owned and I may be overly paranoid...


If they were two different types, could that be a reason for their not getting along?
 
Just because one is brevi and one in lanigera, that shouldn't have any difference for them getting along. There are other issues of why they won't be paired. The chinchillas we have today are a mix of brevi and lanigera, that's why we see different traits pop up in different generations. Costina is another type that is long and slender. As far as extinct, I believe you are referring to the king chinchilla, although I don't believe there have every been breedings of them in captivity. I may be wrong.
 
Here's a link with pictures (not very good ones) but maybe it can help you picture them.

http://www.chinchilla-lexikon.de/chinchilla-site-in-english.htm

Costina chins remind me of rats.

And a brief description, taken from http://chinchillacymru.co.uk/introduction.htm

Brevicaudatas were found at higher elevations (approx. 15,000 feet), they are larger animals, with a blunter nose and shorter ears and tails, pure Brevicaudatas show a brownish hue to their coats, and have more docile temperaments.

Costinas were found closer to sea level, they are smaller animals with a more pointy head and body, and longer ears and tails. Costinas are credited for contributing the blue hue found in a chinchillas fur, they are more highly strung than Brevicaudatas.

Lanigeras were found at approx 10,000 feet, their size and their characteristics fall midway between the Brevicaudata and Costina; and their original colour ranged from bluish grey to a brownish colour. The Lanigera is the domesticated chinchilla which is featured on these pages.

I agree, type has nothing to do with them getting along. That's just their personality.
 
Well what I've always been told is that brevi are actually extinct. What we have now is chins of brevi influence. We are able to have that brevi type chin because breeders are very careful about what they breed, avoiding the lanigeria type.
 
She looks Costina-like, but I'll put up pics when I get home! Thanks everyone!
 
Back
Top