Totem of the Day is Chinchilla! Listen to your instincts on when and what action to take in the coming time and you may need to take a step back to observe the situation quietly to figure out what to do. Don't just rely on analytical information, but let your inner gut instincts influence you to find out what action best balances both your intellectual and instinctual sides. Find out what in your life is out of balance and work to bring it back into balance. This may include working on a healthier diet and exercise routine or spending some time donating your efforts to a local animal organization. The Chinchilla spirit guide is known for it's connection to curiosity, observation, attention to instincts, and knowing when and how to act. Chinchilla reminds us to pay attention to what is going on around us in order to gain deeper knowledge or as a reminder to add healthier habits and diets into your life. They are a sign to better care for the balance within yourself. People who connect with Chinchilla have great observational skills and a great memory to retain what they have heard and seen. These individuals are very curious about the world around them with an air of adventurous innocence once they have become comfortable in an environment. They are able to balance both the instinctual feelings and analytical mind within them effectively. They are skillfull at understanding and explaining the meanings of signs or omens.

Chinchilla, Chinchilla Lanigera, are herbivorous mammals that can live up to 18 years. Native to the Andes Mountains of northern Chile, these small animals belong to the rodent family with ancestors that can be traced as far back as 41 million years ago when they were some of the first rodents to live in South America. Belonging to the rodent family, their closet relatives are porcupines and guinea pigs. Chinchillas are known for their extremely dense and fluffy fur which is naturally a mottled yellow-grey color in the wild. Domesticated breeding has brought additional colors such as silver, beige, white, and bluish-gray, but no matter what color it is the fur is always tipped with black at the ends. They were brought to the United States in 1923 with special permission from the Chilean government and nearly every pet chinchilla is descendant from those original 11 animals. Chinchillas possess a squat body, muscular hind legs, short forelimbs, large rounded ears, a bushy tail, and large black eyes. Their four toed paws have thin claws surrounded by stiff bristles. On average, an adult chinchilla grows to weigh just under 2 lbs with a body length of up to 15 inches. Their long tails can add an additional 6 inches to their length. There are two species of chinchilla: the Chinchilla chinchilla and the Chinchilla lanigera. The Chinchilla chinchilla is the more common pet variety with a thicker neck and shoulders as well as a shorter tail and ears than the Chinchilla lanigera. The natural habitat of the Chinchilla in the Andes mountains includes elevations of over 16,000 feet and temperatures that can reach as low as 23 degrees Fahrenheit. This is why they have the thick, dense fur that keeps them warm in freezing temperatures. However, they cannot handle temperatures higher than 80 degrees Fahrenheit which can lead to heat stroke. Active during the night, dusk, and dawn, Chinchillas sleep during the day in burrows of underground tunnels or in rock crevasses. Their diet consists of primarily grasses and seeds but they will sometimes dine on bird's eggs or insects when available. Being social creatures, Chinchillas live in groups called herds that can include up to hundreds of individual chinchillas. Female chinchillas are known to be the more dominate, and sometimes aggressive, of the two genders. These females are monogamous with only one male mate in their life, however, males are known to mate with multiple females. Breeding season occurs between November and May in the Northern Hemisphere and from May to November in the Southern Hemisphere. Females will give birth twice a year to between 1 and 6 babies called kits. These kits are born hairless and weighing only a little more than an ounce. They will nurse for about eight weeks. Chinchillas will grow to full size and maturity at 8 months old.