Reintroduction Breeding Program

[Devi Xiao]

I know that in the wild, chinchillas are considered critically endangered. There are - and have been - many successful breeding programs that were specific to reintroducing species back in to the wild. The American condor program jumps to mind first. So I was wondering if there was - or if anyone here - was involved in a program like that for chinchillas. If not, how successful do you think such a program would be?

 

[seachin]

Others will jump in here..I believe there are some small programs in South America...but you have to remember that trapping decimated the population so the genetic pool they are working from is small. Anyhow, no breeders here can really help because of how very different chinchillas have been bred.....there are no pure lines of lanigera, costina or brevicaudata....we've bred to attain the best qualities in one animal, so the isolated gene pool can only be found in the wild if any still exist....we can't really help...a reintroduction of our current lines would be like introducing teacup poodles into their natural habitat....oh wait, current breeds of dogs don't have a natural habitat. Perhaps not the best metaphor, but you get the idea....domestic chinchillas would not only be unlikely to survive but would also not he anything like any of the original species....

 

[Devi Xiao]

I see. I haven't really heard of any programs, so that's why I asked. But from what I see, it seems like the domestic chinchilla is very close to the Lanigera. I know that domestics don't tend to do well when suddenly thrown back into the wild, but there have been some relatively successful programs that "reverse breed" (for the lack of a better term) domestics back into near genetic identicals of the their wild ancestors, like the European aurochs. So I was just wondering if it would be possible to do the same with chinchillas (get as close to genetically wild as possible) and then reintroduce them into their native habitat.

 

[ticklechin]

A excerpt from The international convention of endagered species.

Two range states, Argentina and Chile, have recently informed Canada that the
commercial trade in captive-bred specimens does not threaten their wild
chinchilla populations (Bolivia and Peru were also queried but have not
responded). Both range states and industry spokesmen claim that decades of
selective breeding in isolation from wild specimens have resulted in
considerable physical difference between captive-bred and wild specimens,
particularly with regard to body size and the colour, density and length of
the fur. They claim that there is no interest in introducing genetic material
from the wild population. It appears that captive-bred chinchilla may now be
regarded as being essentially domesticated, much like the hamster
(Mesocrícetus auratus) or ferret (Mustela putoríus).

The chinchilla IMO is too domesticated to ever be reintroduced into the wild, mine could not survive a day without the maid taking care of all their needs, lol.

 

[Devi Xiao]

That's true. If we took a chinchilla from a breeder right now, it would have minimal chances of survival. However, if we started breeding for traits found in the wild instead of traits desirable in the pet or show trade, we would eventually end up with a chinchilla closely similar in both genotype and phenotype to the wild chinchilla. While, not exactly the same, similar methods have been used to reintroduce the aurochs in Central Europe from complete extinction by using selective cross breeding of its closest relatives.

This article explains my aurochs example relatively well: http://www.eurowildlife.org/news/the-aurochs-is-about-to-return-to-the-mountains-of-central-europe/

 

[RDZCRanch]

Nothing is impossible, but something like that would take a lot of time and money. We would first need to find a population of wild chinchillas that could breed with our domesticated version. There are two species of chinchillas out there. We would need to sample a healthy wild population genetically and find the closest genetic match amongst our domestic chinchillas. Coding DNA is not cheap and considering how different our chinchillas are in looks from the wild chinchillas, we could not go off of physical attributes alone.

A bigger problem that I see is introducing genetic disorders into the wild population that could decimate what we have left. You have to remember that all of our domestic chinchilla originated from about 9 original adult chinchillas and two babies that were born to one of the females on the long trip to America. We have worked very hard to breed away from genetic disorders, but the fact is that they remain in our domestic population. It would take even more money, time and studies to code the chinchilla genome and discover any mutations for disorders.

 

[Devi Xiao]

Well, the thing is that the aurochs was completely extinct and we are in the process of bringing it back using its closest living relatives. There hasn't really been any DNA sequencing for the project. Although with the whole genome project, the chinchilla probably has been sequenced already.

Nothing is impossible, but something like that would take a lot of time and money. We would first need to find a population of wild chinchillas that could breed with our domesticated version. There are two species of chinchillas out there. We would need to sample a healthy wild population genetically and find the closest genetic match amongst our domestic chinchillas. Coding DNA is not cheap and considering how different our chinchillas are in looks from the wild chinchillas, we could not go off of physical attributes alone.

 

[RDZCRanch]

It states in that article that they aren't bringing back the aurochs, just something similar. They picked from domestic livestock that had the physical, "primitive" features similar to the aurochs. They aren't bringing back the aurochs, but trying to replicate something similar.

"The central idea of the Tauros Programme is to find the European bovine breeds with the best ‘primitive’ characteristics and breed them into a new fully self-sufficient cattle breed. It will not be an exact copy of the aurochs, but will be very close. Therefore we call the animal the Tauros."

Also, helping re-establish a cattle population is much different than a rodent population. With how fully we wiped out the wild chinchilla population, we would have to be extremely careful with introduction of new genetics...especially diseases and genetic disorders. If you have an already sensitive population, you can't just throw some new possibly related animals in there and hope for the best. The wild chinchilla population IS getting better, but very slowly. They are very cryptic in the wild, so monitoring existing populations isn't exactly 100% accurate or feasible.

ETA: Sequencing a genome and studying it are two very different things. A lot of chinchilla DNA has been sequenced, but there hasn't been a lot of effort put into studying the DNA and discovering mutation sequences.

 

[becky12883]

There is actually a large nature reserve in Chile that has chinchillas in it, and populations found in Argentina. This thread has the article and pictures of the reserve at the bottom of the first page.

 

[Devi Xiao]

That's true. But then the American condor was brought back from 22 condors. I'm sure there are more than 22 wild chinchillas that could be put into a breeding program.

 

[ticklechin]

There were wild chinchillas that were in a breeding program with domesticated ones.

The species is on Appendix I of CITES, and has been protected by law in Chile since 1929, although, as mentioned above, this law has proved difficult to enforce. Currently, almost all chinchilla fur comes from farmed animals, and recent improvements in the quality of captive chinchilla fur has reduced pressure on the remaining wild populations. However, it is also likely that the commercial breeding activities have stimulated the demand for live wild chinchillas to improve the genetic variability of captive stocks. Indeed, several of the eleven wild short-tailed chinchillas captured in 2001 were transferred to a breeding programme in which they were used to boost the genetic diversity of the captive population. Although there is no specific conservation programme in place for the short-tailed chinchilla, the US-based conservation organisation Save the Wild Chinchillas is focusing on raising awareness of the two chinchilla species, promoting research, and conserving wild populations of the long-tailed chinchilla.


http://www.edgeofexistence.org/mamma...info.php?id=57

 

[Devi Xiao]

There were wild chinchillas that were in a breeding program with domesticated ones...However, it is also likely that the commercial breeding activities have stimulated the demand for live wild chinchillas to improve the genetic variability of captive stocks.
http://www.edgeofexistence.org/mamma...info.php?id=57

Hmm, the URL isn't working.
That's really interesting information. However, are there any programs specifically focused on increasing the native wild population of chinchillas? Similar to the California Condor program.

 

[Sandi]

Try this ...

http://www.edgeofexistence.org/mammals/species_info.php?id=57

 

[Basket_of_Chinchillas]

Hmm, the URL isn't working.
That's really interesting information. However, are there any programs specifically focused on increasing the native wild population of chinchillas? Similar to the California Condor program.

There do not appear to currently be any breeding programs specifically tailored to increasing the population of wild chinchillas. There are currently protected areas designed to protect wild chinchillas from people and predators so that their numbers might increase naturally.

 

[Zoaea]

There do not appear to currently be any breeding programs specifically tailored to increasing the population of wild chinchillas. There are currently protected areas designed to protect wild chinchillas from people and predators so that their numbers might increase naturally.

I think that this would be a good approach to chinchilla conservation if they have enough in their wild population to rebound.

I think a breeding program from domestic chinchillas to repopulate the wild ones would be possible but better for a last resort if the gene pool of the wild ones disappears. The chinchilla hasn't been domesticated so long as to make it impossible to reintroduce them to the wild. Animals like dogs have been in breeding programs for thousands of years. I do think they would have to study what traits help the survival of a wild chinchilla. For example probably the densest fur would be a disadvantage because of natural moisture and possible overheating. The size would probably be better off on the small side for calorie reasons.

The chinchillas chosen if such a program were made would have to be thought out well. You wouldn't want the show champion, rather you would probably be looking for as diverse characteristics in the animals you pick. Getting some with thin, medium and dense fur, varying lengths, light, medium and dark phases, small size (wild ones are smaller for a reason, harder to get food, and physical fitness) but good hip passage for young. Things that you would not consider for a domestic chinchilla but can still find in the gene pool.

I have thought about this before, usually when dreaming about winning a Lotto jackpot. =P You would definitely have to have phases in the program. The first phase would have to be studying and tagging wild chinchillas. Learning what they need to survive predators and harsh years. Then the second phase you might begin collecting as wide a range of chinchillas that exhibit as many of the needed characteristics as possible while trying to avoid strains with heart, teeth, or breeding issues.

The first set of animals couldn't be dumped in the wild. So you would have to design some type of halfway house so to speak. Maybe an open enclosure, like they have for some of the zoo animals. Have as natural habitat as possible with the exception of providing safety from predators, food and water. Raising the chinchillas in breeding cages would be counter productive to the young. Any chinchilla that you had to treat medically, like hand feeding young, or a troubled birth you could still care for but also have the control of removing it from the population of that program.

The young would be more naturally adapted to the wild environment and probably moved to a second enclosure that more closely resembles the natural environment with even less human intervention (natural water source, more natural plants for forging, ect). I think something like this would work in the long term to get a domestic strain more adapted to the wild, it would also allow the start of natural selection to promote the chinchillas that would ultimately survive better in the wild.

Ok I'll keep the rest of my imagination in check, but if I do ever win 300 million I'll be sure to get professional conservationists to help with the project. ;D

Edit: PS while genetic testing would be the biggest benefit, good old fashioned pedigree sifting and selection by phenotype would still be beneficial. The key would be getting chinchillas with a wide range in the traits so that the gene pool would be the largest possible and natural selection could take over.

 

[Devi Xiao]

Zoaea,

This was exactly what I had in mind. Like it was stated previously, we probably wouldn't end up with an exact chinchilla on the genetic level, but it would definitely be close enough to breed with native species and keep that ecological niche filled.

 

[ticklechin]

[A bigger problem that I see is introducing genetic disorders into the wild population that could decimate what we have left./QUOTE]

I agree with Tabitha 100%, malocclusion in the wild is practically non-existant according to studies made by Dr. Crossley where in the domestic population its around 30%, that and the heart murmur issues we have it could decimate the wild population. Grow slow the wild population, there is no need to speed it up artificially.

 

[Devi Xiao]

Grow slow the wild population, there is no need to speed it up artificially.

Well, the only issue is that wild populations are still on the decline. This is probably not only due to illegal hunting that is most likely happening, but also because of the introduction on a non-native predator: a fox from Europe, I believe.

 

[ticklechin]

IMO, rather than focus on a breeding program that includes domestic chinchillas and their genetic issues, focus should be made on the wild chinchillas habitat so the wild chinchilla stays wild, without the habitat nothing you introduce can thrive. This quote from wildchinchillas.org

Passive management techniques have apparently not resulted in increased chinchilla populations. Successful conservation programs must utilize active management techniques in order to encourage increases in recruitment. Fragmented habitat leaves gaps which prevent dispersal and expansion of chinchillas and colonies. Inter-colony gene flow must be possible in order for the species to survive. This exchange of genetic material is more likely to occur in areas where the species does not have to cross unprotected or hostile barriers in order to reach potential mates. Practices of revegetation can reduce barriers to genetic flow encouraging recruitment eventually resulting in higher populations. Actively creating habitat aids in conservation of this species by reducing competition and barriers while increasing available resources.

Clearing land for hunting, mining and farming has resulted in habitat fragmentation as well as degradation. Practices of revegetation should try to: close gaps in distributions, increase habitat and reduce competition. Revegetation should include species which chinchillas depend upon. These should be planted to complement and expand colonies and their interconnections or corridors. Preservation and expansion of protected lands must continue in order to facilitate conservation efforts. Special ecological areas need protection from human disturbances if endangered animals are going to survive. Expansion of protected habitat must be planned, evaluated and carried out on an ongoing basis.

 

[Zoaea]

Ticklechin/Dawn I think that would be the best way to go. They might also transport males from one area to another if there are barriers that cant be bridged (like a city) to keep genes flowing too. Also, maybe trapping and hunting of the foreign predator the fox.

I do wonder if the higher rates of some conditions in captivity is simply because we help them live longer, were in the wild they would die much sooner and be removed from the gene pool.