Small Animals

Our collection of small animals is constantly being enlarged.

Chinchillas (Chinchilla brevicaudata)

The chinchilla was named after the Chincha people of the Andes. Chinchilla actually means "little Chincha". They are best known for their thick and soft fur and were used to make coats for the wealthy.

Chinchillas are largely nocturnal, although somebody must have forgotten to tell ours as they are especially active at feeding time in the morning! They are herbivores, so we have to be very carefull to use the correct food for them. They make excellent pets as they are easy to handle, exceptionally clean and virtually odorless. Another big advantage is their coat is so dense that that they can not have fleas or ticks. Their fur is just too dense having 80-100 hairs per folicle. Lifespan is up to 20 years and similar to many dogs.

We have an excellent breeding colony and new arrivals are a great delight. They are born fully developed and are capable of running around their home within a very short time.

Gophers

Also known as Richardson's Ground Squirrel or Flickertail (Urocitellus richardsonii)

Native to the northern states of the United States, such as North Dakota and in Southern Canada, such as southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan.

They were made famous by Gordon the Gopher and the film Caddy Shack. Our Gophers are simply gorgeous and very demanding, just try to ignore them at feeding time and they will tell you all about it! They love peanuts in their shells and make short work of them, storing them in their cavernous pouches.

So far our attempts to breed them have not been successful, but we live in hope.

Rabbits

Guinea Pigs

Syrian