For Referring Veterinarians

History of the Chinchilla The long-tailed chinchilla (Chinchilla laniger) is native to the mountains and foothills of the Andes in South America. These rodents are known for their large ears and soft, luxurious fur. Chinchilla fur has the highest density of any land animal with more than 20,000 hairs per square centimeter. Many mammals grow just one hair from each follicle, but the chinchilla has more than 50 hairs in a single follicle. The international…

Natural History of Box Turtles Box turtles are indigenous to North America. Free-ranging box turtles spend much of their time burrowing in the mud or hiding beneath rocks.  They are small to medium sized turtles, attaining a maximum length of about 8 inches and having a highly domed carapace. A key characteristic of box turtles is their hinged plastron (bottom of the shell) that can be shut completely to exclude predators. Box turtles in the…

Bearded Dragons Bearded dragons (beardies) are social animals, which is one of the reasons they are engaging and interesting pets. With proper husbandry and care, they can make wonderful pets for older children and adults. Housing/Enclosure Bearded dragon enclosures will need to grow with them as they get bigger. Hatchlings do well in 20 gallon tanks, but adults will require at least a 50 gallon tank. Since they are a terrestrial species, long, short tanks…