"Chinchilla environment — tolerant of cold, heatstroke risk above 26.7°C"
Source: Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com), a copyrighted professional veterinary reference. Per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3, the points below are paraphrased derived fact summaries: numerical values and proper nouns are preserved from the source, but sentences are rewritten and not quoted verbatim.
Claims
*[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Chinchillas are very tolerant of cold but sensitive to heat. *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Their adapted ambient temperature range is 18.3-26.7 C (65-80 F). *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Exposure to higher ambient temperatures, especially with high humidity, can result in heatstroke. *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Nutritional causes (a less abrasive diet in captivity) and genetic causes have been proposed as predisposing factors for dental disease. *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Choking may occur when a large piece of food or bedding occludes the tracheal entrance, or in postpartum females that eat their placentas. *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Group-housed chinchillas on fur ranches and in research colonies have historically had a high prevalence of giardiasis. *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Outbreaks of cerebral nematodiasis caused by the raccoon ascarid Baylisascaris procyonis have been reported in chinchillas housed outdoors.