They're cute, heinously soft and I seem unable to pass by one without threatening to succumb to an overwhelming urge to cuddle it. Resistance is futile...
The suspect: the chinchilla. Most often viewed as a charming but not overly talented pet, these uber-strokable rodents nonetheless possess some amazing survival abilities that belie those seemingly helpless eyes.These animals have the highest fur density in the world, with 20,000 hairs per square centimeter and up to fifty hairs growing from a single follicle (we humans can only muster one lousy hair per follicle). This crazy dense coat is esstential in their homeland, the chilly heights of the South American Andes. So thick is their fur that should any skin parasite, like a flea, attempt invasion, it will suffocate in the hairy depths. Combine this with the ability of the chinchilla to jump five feet in the air from a standstill and you have an animal who is a master of survival in an often-hostile environment.
Tough things sometimes come in a very soft, innocent packages...
2 comments:
Not only do they love chex but they also adore raisins.
I believe that is shredded wheat -- easier to bite into an adorable heart shape...