The Surprising Secrets of the World's Softest Animal

Chinchillas are small rodents that originally come from the Andes Mountains in South America.

They are famous for having the softest fur of any land animal in the world.

A single hair follicle can grow more than fifty individual hairs.

Because their fur is so thick, you should never wash a chinchilla with water.

Water gets trapped near their skin and can cause dangerous fungal infections.

Instead of water, these fluffy creatures take baths in special volcanic dust.

They love to roll around in the dust to keep their coats clean and oil-free.

In the wild, chinchillas live in large groups called colonies to stay safe.

They are very active animals and can jump over six feet in the air.

Their large ears help them hear predators from a long distance away.

These animals are mostly active during the night or at dawn and dusk.

If a predator grabs them, they can release a patch of fur to escape quickly.

This clever defense mechanism helps them survive in the wild.

As pets, chinchillas are very social and can live for up to twenty years.

Taking care of one requires a lot of love and a very large cage.