Published on Saturday, May 9, 2009 by admin Chinchillas Your chinchilla can live up to 20 years. Be sure you are willing to care for this animal for that long before you buy! Chinchillas were discovered by Spanish explorers high in the Andes Mountains in South America. They are used to a dry climate with cold weather. These animals are in the rodent family, although they are larger than your standard hams...