Chinchillas and Global Climate Change.

[Christina Noraas]

I need a little help with my Ecology class, we have to do a project where we are going to teach the class about a topic my partner and I have Global Climate Change effects a certain type of animal I can't find any resources so this is why I'm asking help.


In your own opinion how would climate change affect chinchillas?


And if you know of any websites that could help me out and post them that'd be great!

 

[caiti]

I have no idea for an answer to your question, but maybe if you start by looking up how the recent world wide climate change has affected the Andes and South America, you could go from there. Like if it's getting drier, maybe they will need to eat different kinds of plants, more succulent ones. Or if it's getting colder in the Andes, maybe they will grow thicker coats etc. Then you can look up changes in wild chin diets or coats and see what you come up with. Unfortunately, I don't think you'll find a ton of info on them. Since they are endangered, it's probably hard to observe them over generations in their natural environment but then again I haven't looked for that info, so who knows. You could always say no changes in the species has been observed, then speculate as to what changes could occur and use examples of other densely furred or rodent animals in similar climates and environments.

Domestic chins obviously won't be affected since their environments are simulations and controlled to begin with.

 

[monarch]

This may help, I recently saw this documentary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VthifJ-ecIE

"Alpaca herders in the high Andes of Peru offer an insight into the real impact of climate change on remote communities"

 

[angels41105]

so i hate to say this but i was just watching a nature show last weekend and they say chinchillas are officially extinct from the wild ... there are none left in the Andes.

 

[GorillaJTA]

so i hate to say this but i was just watching a nature show last weekend and they say chinchillas are officially extinct from the wild ... there are none left in the Andes.

The giant chinchilla is extinct, but laniger is still out there.

 

[PetoftheDay]

Look at the growth patterns for wild chin's diet of choice. Another thing to factor in is, as temperatures warm, insects that normal would not thrive at the colder elevations will "move upslope" and potential damage the food supply.