Rivendell Chinchillas
On this page we will review some of the anatomy of the urinary and reproductive systems of the female chinchilla.
The urinary system is very important for removing wastes from the body to prevent toxic build up. It also helps regulate the fluids in the body. Below you can see the kidney where the majority of the work is done for the urinary system. The kidneys are very efficient filters used to remove toxins and wastes from the body as well as regulating the fluid amount in the body. As the urea is filtered in the kidney it moves down the ureter into the urinary bladder where it is stored until it is released. The bladder has valves preventing the flow of urine back into the kidneys. The bladder is filled by two ureter's one from each kidney. Once the bladder is full it can be emptied by the release of sphincter valves that prevent the urine from flowing out of the bladder, once the valve is opened the urine can flow through the urethra and out of the body.
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The following photo shows a view of both kidneys, you will notice they are not aligned. In humans it is common for the right kidney to be lower to accomodate for the size of the liver, chinchilla however tend to have the left kidney significantly lower than the right, this is possibly due to the large size of the stomach which sits on the left side of the abdomin. You will notice a white adrenal gland that usually sits next to and slightly on top of each kidney as well. These produce hormones that help regulate various functions of the body. You can also note the large aorta which brings blood into the kidneys to be filtered. All of the blood in the body is filtered through the kidney's once about every 45 minutes.
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The female reproductive system consists of a Y shaped or horned uterus. Each horn has an ovary located at the top, the ovary produces eggs and hormones at are essential to reproduction including milk production. Each horn in the chinchilla is set up similar to it's own uterus as each horn has it's own cervix making it possible for chincillas to carry two litters at the same time, although when this happens both litters are usually born at the same time resulting often in one kit who is significantly smaller than the other(s). I personally have had a chinchilla carry a second pregancy full term after littering, her second pregnancy was concieved about two months after the first, with her birthing a single kit litter right after her two first kits were weaned. Both horns of the uterus come together at the vagina which then opens to the outside at the gential cone. A chinchillas normal gestation is about 111 days, and heat cycles vary.
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This is a close up of an ovary and shows the Fallopian tubes that "cover" the ovary. The ovary itself is not directly connected to the uterus other than by connective tissue, it does not open into the uterus. When the eggs are released they then float into the Fallopian tubes which then help move the egg(s) into the uterus.
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This is an overview of the kidney dissected. Blood flowing through the kidney is filtered in the medulla and the cortex with the greatest degree of filtration occuring in the cortex. As the blood is filtered and the urea is removed, it then is collected and drips into the calyx, through the renal pelvis, and finally through the ureter into the bladder.
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| Mouth |
| Thoracic ( Heart and Lungs) |
| Digestive, Hepatic, & Spleen |
| Female reproductive & Urinary |
| Male reproductive & Urinary |