In this page I want give you just little chinchilla's information but if you want know more, interesting links will follow.

The chinchilla's natural habitat is high in the Andes of Chile, Argentina, Peru and Bolivia. They are nocturnal animals, being active mostly at dusk and at night. During daily hours, in the wild, they sleep in dark hiding holes and crevices. As to other rodents they have continously growing incisor teeth. They are very social and live in colonies of about 100. Chinchillas are very clean animals and odorless. Because of their dence fur they do not harbor fleas and other parasites. They need regular bath to keep their fur free of moisture and excess oil. They don't bath in wather but in finely ground sand, a dust similar to the volcanic ash found in the Andes.
Chinchillas are not for petting, therefore they are not appropriate pets for small children.
When alone they will chew on anything in front of them so you must supervise them when letting them explore. Chinchillas have a great temperament, and they each have their own personality that you need to respect. Some like to be held while others prefer to run around. They are very curious, so even the ones who run around and investigate the area, eventually come back to see what you are doing.
If you are a light sleeper, chinchillas might not be the right pet for you. They are noisy animals, especially if you want have 2 or more. They will make a lot of noises at night to express their needs and emotions, move their furnitures, jumping about in their cages, running on their wheels, etc.
Beeing unusual pets chinchilla attract lots of attention to both themselves and their owners.