Chinchilla close relative

I was just watching a Public Broadcast Show about the Andes Mountains. I was so excited that I might just get the chance to see a Chin in it's actual habitat, either by picture or video. Well, no dice. No chin on film but they did show a Mountain Viscacha. Another animal in the chinchilla family. It was so cute, they said that the Viscacha wake at sunrise to sit in the sun and warm up. They showed them standing straight up on their hind legs but in what I would call a budda position. Big bellies pooched out. And the best part was they said that the locals say that they always see them mutter things to the gods as they warm up. Every once and a while they just start grinding their teeth, making it look like they are saying something. So cute. Anyone in the US can try and see if their Public Broadcast channel has this program, but it was Nature - Andes:The Dragon's Back. Very interesting and entertaining, and it shows where the best pet ever actually lives in the wild. Woo hoo. This is a very basic information page, but you can do other searches for the Mountain Viscacha, or Plains Viscacha and find more info about them.
http://www.americazoo.com/goto/index/mammals/215.htm

ETA, anyone have any video of chins in their native habitat? Would love to see something. Thanks everyone.

hahha how cute, they look like bunnies and chins all mixed together!!

No kidding. It's like a half chin half rabbit. And to me the chin is half hamster half squirrel. He he he. They are much fuzzier too, which I think is very cute. Makes me wonder why chins became such crazed pets (and Pelts) and why these animals did not. The show did say that their fur was constantly shedding which may have prevented using them as fur animals. It's just interesting how some animals have become pets and others are still basically only found in the wild. - Jessica

I caught the last half, after the Cubs won their game! I, too, was hoping to catch a glimpse of a wild herd, but I guess it wasn't to be. Would love to see something like that!

Sorry that I missed this. I wonder if it will be on again.

I would also love to see what chins in their natural habitat do all day! At the Philadelphia zoo they have one or two but they are always sleeping in their tunnel when I go.

I was really hoping that someone might have a video of them in their native habitat. It's gotta be somewhere right? Maybe i'll have to go and do it myself. Spend a year living with the chins, just like the people living with the meerkats. Anyone wanna come with me? - Jessica

Here are a couple of prints you can buy from Nat Geo, nature lovers search on here for other animals, they have everything. Thanks for the heads up on the TV show. The chins were on about 35-40 minutes into the show FYI.
http://www.ngsprints.co.uk/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=chinchilla&x=7&y=5

Here's an organization that works out with the wild chinchillas
http://www.wildchinchillas.org/

Can you buy them?

I never get tired of looking at that picture! I just love that big guy/gal. So much like a huge, teddy bear like chinny! I want one, they look so cuddly. Funny that the first thing I think of is- they must have big poo!

They look big enough to be kankaroo related - you'd need three people to catch 'em and get them back in the 8 x 8 x 8 cage!! Imagine playtime if you had 4 or 5!!

I LOVE the second print of the Viscacha on ngsprints.com...the baby looks JUST like a chin stretching!

Awwww cute. I thought the same darn thing. First thought was awwww. Second thought was they must have bigger poo. Ha ha ha.. We are totally sick aren't we. - jessica

I think the baby is bigger than a big adult chin. I'd love to hear the kacking they make.

Wow they are really neat. Thanks for sharing.

You are more than welcome. I saw the Andes Mountains and had to tune in hoping that i'd see chins. I can say though that i'm really glad that I did because I didn't know that chins had close relatives living nearby too. So cute.