Interesting ANIMAL facts!

Interesting facts;  {Wolverine, Weasel, Nutria, Mole, Guanaco, Chinchilla}

Wolverine fur has a durability rating of 100 so it lasts for years. But it is also heavy, so it is used primarily for trimmings, small jackets and small wraps. It is also used for the ruffs of parka hoods because it does not hold moisture and freeze against the face.


The dark brown fur of the Siberian weasel (Mustela sibirica), otherwise called Kolinsky or Kolinski, or yellow weasel, is found in parts of the Himalayas, Siberia and China. Historically it was marketed under a variety of other names, including China mink, Japanese mink, Siberian mink, yellow mink, red sable, and tatar sable. The hair of the males, in particular, is used in the finest paint brushes.


Nutria is a South American cousin of the beaver. It was introduced into swamps in the United States to reduce the muskrat population. It was also farmed, and, according to one story, a few breeding pairs escaped from a farm in Louisiana during a hurricane, only to find the marshes and swamps there ideal. Whatever the reason, since its introduction into the United States in the 1950s, nutria have thrived. If not trapped, they could become a pest in competition for the same land with muskrats and other wildlife.
Nutria has traditionally been plucked, sheared, and dyed a variety of colors from black, brown and beige to many others. Sheared nutria is soft and light in weight, making it ideal for use in vests, linings, and “indoor furs”, as well as luxury coats.


Mole is an example of how an animal considered to be a pest can turn out to have value. According to tradition, moles in Scotland were creating havoc among the farmers until Queen Alexandra, wife of Edward VII of England, ordered a garment made of mole – and started a new fashion. Mole, which comes from Europe, has a small, even tiny, pelt. The taupe gray pelts are sewn together and dyed for exotic, special “fantasy furs”. The leather is very soft, while the fur is short and delicate, resembling velvet in texture. All fur, with the exception of mole, grows from the head of the animal running back to the tail and should always be touched that way. Mole, on the other hand, has no “grain”; it feels the same whichever way it’s touched, making it unique among furs.

Guanaco is a South American relative of the camel. The pattern of the long-haired back in red or brown and white flanks, or sides, is sharp. The fur is thick and soft. Guanaco is used in coats and for trimmings and accessories. It needs a lot of care, since the thick, soft fur (there are no guard hairs) tends to curl when wet. If this happens, the fur should always be taken to a furrier for special ironing. Anyone who tries to repair a fur coat in any way runs the risk of ruining the fur.

The chinchilla is a rodent, native to the high Andes of South America. The name comes from “Chincha”, the South American Indians who used the hair for cloth, as did the Incas who conquered the Chinchas and the early Spaniards who defeated the Incas. Later, the blue-gray, exquisitely soft fur became so popular in Europe that chinchillas were almost extinct by 1914. Nowadays, all chinchilla is ranched, as the result of a few breeding pairs imported to the US in 1924.
The fur is very soft, silky, and dense. In fact, chinchilla fur has the highest hair density of any animal, with more than 20,000 per square centimeter. (This makes it impossible for parasites such as fleas to inhabit chinchillas, as they would suffocate.) Where humans grow one hair from each follicle, a chinchilla has more than 50.
Color is silvery gray top hair and dark underfur. The best chinchilla has a slate blue color, often enhanced by brighteners, although mutation colors are now also produced.

http://www.fur.ca/FIC_library_reference.php#5