Though not as well known as the hamster or rabbit, the chinchilla will win you over with its charm.

With just one touch of a chinchilla's exquisite coat, you'll know why this animal was once bred exclusively for its soft, dense pelt. As breeders became aware of the chinchilla's charming personality, however, more and more of the animals became treasured pets.

Though still coveted for its coat, the chinchilla has won the hearts of many pet owners. If you're looking for a unique small animal pet, this may be the animal for you.

Chinchilla means "little Chinta," the South American Indian tribe for which the animal is named. A native of the high Andes Mountains in South America, this rodent species typically weighs between 1 and 2 pounds, and resembles a cross between a squirrel and a small rabbit. It has large eyes, big ears, long whiskers and a round, chubby body. A chinchilla carries its bushy tail, similar to that of a squirrel, curled over its back. Large hind feet help it hop like a kangaroo, and the small front legs and feet are like those of a squirrel.

The soft fur of a chinchilla comes in a variety of colors, the most common being the standard gray. The newest, rarest and most unusual color is African violet, a shade of pink or mauve. Another rare and unusual color is ebony; ebony chinchillas are jet black all over with no gray or white highlights. Other coat colors include mosaic (white with some other color, usually silver or gray), beige (light tan or dark cream), black velvet (black on top, changing to gray on the sides), brown velvet (dark brown on top, lightening to beige on the sides) and charcoal (deep, dark gray). With the exception of the ebony chinchilla, all chinchillas have white underbellies.

The dense fur, while attractive, has more than one practical use for the animal. It effectively insulates against the extreme cold in the Andes and, because the hairs pull out easily, serves as a built-in protection against would-be predators unable to firmly grasp the little animal. Maybe such factors contribute to the chinchilla's longevity--with proper care, it can live an average of 15 years.