The natural habitat of the wild chinchilla lanigera
(the long tailed chinchilla) is in the Andes Mountains.
Chinchillas are strict vegetarians.  
Their diets consist of the seeds, flowers, stems
and leaves of plants growing there.  
Many of these plants belong to the cactus family.
They should never be given meat or a meat by-product,
their digestive systems are not made to properly digest meat.  
Meat will kill a chinchilla.
Diet of the Wild Chinchilla
Scientific
Classification
Common
Name
Parts of the Plant
Eaten by the
Wild Chinchilla
 
 
 
 
 
Bridgesia
Incisaefolia
Rumpiato
Seed
Cordia
Decandra
Carbonillo
Seed
Grandiflora
Calandrinia
Renilla
Leaf
Andean
Ephedra
Pingo Pingo
Stem
Thurifera
Flourensia
Wonder of the Field
Leaf
Paniculata
Gutierrezia
Monte Negro
Leaf
Purple Leucocoryne
Cebellin
Leaf
Root
Nasella Chilensis
Grass King
Stem
Leaf
Seed
Notholaena
Mollis
Doradilla
Leaf
Opuntia spp.
 Gratitos
Root
Proustia
Baccharoides
Olivillo of the North
Stem
Leaf
Berteroniana
Puya
Teasel
Leaf
Trichocereus
Chiloensis
Quisco
Root
Trichocereus
Coquimbensis
Copao
Fruit
Check Below
... See the Plants ...
Pictures Below
Renilla
Leaf
Copao
Carbonillo
Seeds
Pingo Pingo
Wonder of
the Field
Cebellin
Pasto Rey or
Grass King
Doradilla
Leaf
Olivillo
of the North
Gratitos/Prickly Pear
Quisco
Cardon
Monte
Negro
On some computers, the words are under the picture,
so I have had to leave a large space between the chart and the pictures.
Information & pictures came from these two resources:

Photos from: Chins 2 Home
A group of dedicated chinchilla lovers who rescue
and take in homeless chinchillas in the UK and find homes for them.
They also provide information on how to care for chins.

Chart From: Save the Wild Chinchillas
at: http://sapphire.indstate.edu/%7Edeanea/edu.html
Researching the Wild Chinchilla Lanigera  
by Amy Deane