Las Chinchillas National Reserve is a nature reserve

Nature reserve

A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...

 located in the Choapa Province

Choapa Province

Choapa Province is one of the provinces making up the Coquimbo Region of Chile. It has an area of 10,079.8 km² and a population of 81,681. The capital of the province is the town of Illapel...

, Coquimbo Region

Coquimbo Region

The IV Coquimbo Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. It is some 400 km north of the capital, Santiago.The capital and largest city is La Serena, other important cities include the seaport Coquimbo and the agricultural centre...

, Chile

Chile

Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

. The reserve gives shelter to the last colonies of Long-tailed Chinchilla

Long-tailed Chinchilla

The long-tailed chinchilla , also called the Chilean, coastal, common chinchilla, or lesser chinchilla, is one of two species of rodents from the genus Chinchilla, the other species being Chinchilla chinchilla. Wild populations of C...

s in the wild.

Biology

In addition to the chinchillas, other small mammals (mainly rodents), two fox species and felines like the Puma inhabit the reserve and surrounding hills. Actually only about half of the wild chinchillas are located within the reserve boundaries. The other half live on private and communally owned lands.

The reserve is home to a number of species of birds, including the Chilean Mockingbird

Chilean Mockingbird

The Chilean Mockingbird locally known as Tenca is a species of bird in the Mimidae family.It inhabit Chile and Argentina...

, Chilean Tinamou

Chilean Tinamou

The Chilean Tinamou, Nothoprocta perdicaria, is a type of tinamou commonly found in high altitude shrubland in subtropical regions of central Chile.-Etymology:...

, Long-tailed Meadowlark

Long-tailed Meadowlark

The Long-tailed Meadowlark is a passerine bird of southern South America and the Falkland Islands, belonging to the meadowlark genus Sturnella in the icterid family....

, Moustached Turca

Moustached Turca

The Moustached Turca is a passerine bird which is endemic to Chile. It belongs to the tapaculo group and is a member of the genus Pteroptochos, along with the two species of huet-huet....

 and Harris's Hawk

Harris's Hawk

The Harris's Hawk or Harris Hawk formerly known as the Bay-winged Hawk or Dusky Hawk, is a medium-large bird of prey which breeds from the southwestern United States south to Chile and central Argentina...

. Owl species inhabiting the park include the Burrowing Owl

Burrowing Owl

The Burrowing Owl is a tiny but long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing Owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or any other open dry area with low vegetation. They nest and roost in burrows, such as those excavated...

, Austral Pygmy-owl

Austral Pygmy-owl

The Austral Pygmy Owl is a species of owl in the Strigidae family.It is found in Argentina and Chile.Its natural habitat is temperate forests.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 24 July 2007....

 and Great Horned Owl

Great Horned Owl

The Great Horned Owl, , also known as the Tiger Owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas.-Description:...

. The Andean condor can also be seen in the area.