Pet chinchillas typically live 10–20 years (RSPCA; Merck: 10–15 on average, up to 20; VCA: 15–20). Wild chinchillas live about 6–10 years. On our chinchilla age chart, a 1-year-old chinchilla is about 20 in human years, a 5-year-old about 36, a 10-year-old about 56 and a 15-year-old about 76. Chinchillas are seniors from about 7, and the oldest on record lived to 29 years 229 days.
Estimates only. There is no veterinary standard for chinchilla years to human years, and every chinchilla ages differently. See an exotic-animal vet for health concerns.
How long do chinchillas live?
Chinchillas live far longer than most pet rodents. Hamsters and pet rats usually live only about 1.5–3 years, and guinea pigs 5–8 years (Merck Veterinary Manual). A pet chinchilla can live 10–20 years. The RSPCA says chinchillas "can live for 10–20 years", so they are a long-term commitment. The Merck Veterinary Manual says they live about 10–15 years on average, and some pet chinchillas have reached 20. VCA Animal Hospitals gives a life expectancy of 15–20 years.
Wild chinchillas live much shorter lives. PetMD's vet-written guide says chinchillas in the wild live about six years on average, while pets often reach 10–15. The Animal Diversity Web puts the wild long-tailed chinchilla at roughly 10 years and the short-tailed chinchilla at about 8–10 years.
Chinchilla life expectancy at a glance
- Pet chinchilla: typically 10–20 years. We use 15 years, the middle of that range, as the average for the calculator.
- Wild long-tailed chinchilla: about 6–10 years.
- Wild short-tailed chinchilla: about 8–10 years.
- Oldest on record: 29 years 229 days (Guinness World Records).
The chinchilla age span, from kit to senior
The full chinchilla age span runs from a kit that weighs about 35–70 g at birth to an old chinchilla in its late teens or twenties. Chinchillas grow up fast and age slowly. They are sexually mature at about 8 months (Merck), which is about 13.3 in human years on our chart. They are seniors from about 7 years, which is about 44 in human years. After that, many pet chinchillas still have a third or more of their life ahead of them.
Chinchilla lifespan as pets
The pet chinchilla lifespan depends mostly on care. PetMD's Dr Sandra Mitchell writes that "the care we provide our chins makes the biggest difference", because chinchillas have very specific needs for temperature, diet and housing. A well-kept chinchilla can live as long as the family cat.
So what is the chinchilla lifespan pet owners can expect? Vet sources give different averages. Merck says about 10–15 years, PetMD often 10–15 and VCA 15–20, while MedVet's care sheet says most pet chinchillas live 6–10 years. The difference shows how many chinchillas die early from illness, heat or poor diet. In a good home, reaching the middle teens is realistic and 20 is possible.
What a good home looks like
- A cool, dry room: chinchillas are adapted to about 18–27 °C (65–80 °F) and can get heatstroke above that, especially in humid weather (Merck).
- Hay all day: grass hay should be available 24 hours a day and make up most of the diet (VCA).
- Company: chinchillas live in colonies in the wild, and the RSPCA says they must not be kept on their own.
- A large, safe cage and daily exercise: PetMD recommends a big cage with hiding places, plus time out of the cage every day.
- An exotic-animal vet: VCA recommends a check-up within 48 hours of getting a new chinchilla, then at least once a year.
Some chinchillas simply have a weaker start. PetMD describes "poor doers" that are more prone to dental, heart and gut disease and often don't live as long. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, all pet chinchillas in the US descend from only 13 animals imported in 1927. Riggs and Mitchell's Manual of Exotic Pet Practice notes that, because of this small founder group, many common chinchilla diseases are suspected to have a genetic component.
How long do chinchillas live in the wild?
There are two wild species. Both come from the Andes mountains of South America and both are rare today:
- Long-tailed chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera, also written laniger): the ancestor of pet chinchillas. It lives in rocky, fairly barren areas of northern Chile at 3,000–5,000 m (Merck). The Animal Diversity Web gives a wild lifespan of roughly 10 years. PetMD's average of about six years for wild chinchillas suggests many die well before that, so we use 6–10 years as the long-tailed chinchilla lifespan.
- Short-tailed chinchilla (Chinchilla chinchilla): heavier-bodied, with a shorter tail. The Animal Diversity Web gives a short-tailed chinchilla lifespan of about 8–10 years in the wild and 15–20 years in captivity.
Why the wild chinchilla lifespan is shorter
PetMD's explanation is simple: pet chinchillas aren't eaten by predators as they age and slow down, and they get medical care. Wild chinchillas live in a harsh mountain habitat, and predators such as owls and foxes hunt them (Animal Diversity Web). Wild chinchillas can shed a patch of fur to escape a predator's grip, a defence called fur slip. They also lack the steady diet, shelter and dental care a pet can have. Domestic chinchillas have also been bred to be about twice the size of wild ones (PetMD).
Conservation status
Both species are listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List: the long-tailed chinchilla in its 2025 assessment and the short-tailed chinchilla in its 2016 assessment. They were hunted for their fur. The Animal Diversity Web says about 500,000 skins a year were exported from Chile around 1900. International trade in wild chinchillas and their skins is now banned under CITES Appendix I. The Animal Diversity Web's 2002 account estimated that fewer than 10,000 long-tailed chinchillas survived in the wild. Pet chinchillas are captive-bred, so keeping one doesn't affect wild populations.
Chinchilla age chart (chinchilla years to human years)
This chinchilla age chart shows your chinchilla's age in human years from 3 months to 29 years 229 days, with its life stage and how far it is through an average 15-year pet lifespan. These are the same numbers the calculator gives. A 1-year-old chinchilla is about 20, a 5-year-old about 36, a 10-year-old about 56 and a 15-year-old about 76 in human years.
| Chinchilla age | Human years | Life stage | % of ~15-year average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 months | 5 | Juvenile | 2% |
| 6 months | 10 | Juvenile | 3% |
| 8 months | 13.3 | Adult | 4% |
| 1 year | 20 | Adult | 7% |
| 2 years | 24 | Adult | 13% |
| 3 years | 28 | Adult | 20% |
| 4 years | 32 | Adult | 27% |
| 5 years | 36 | Adult | 33% |
| 6 years | 40 | Adult | 40% |
| 7 years | 44 | Senior | 47% |
| 8 years | 48 | Senior | 53% |
| 9 years | 52 | Senior | 60% |
| 10 years | 56 | Senior | 67% |
| 11 years | 60 | Senior | 73% |
| 12 years | 64 | Senior | 80% |
| 13 years | 68 | Senior | 87% |
| 14 years | 72 | Senior | 93% |
| 15 years | 76 | Senior | 100% |
| 16 years | 80 | Senior | 100% |
| 17 years | 84 | Senior | 100% |
| 18 years | 88 | Senior | 100% |
| 19 years | 92 | Senior | 100% |
| 20 years | 96 | Senior | 100% |
| 25 years | 116 | Senior (beyond typical) | 100% |
| 29 years 229 days (record) | 134.5 | Oldest on record | — |
Human-year figures follow a published chinchilla age chart (YearsInHumanYears: 10 at 6 months, 20 at 1 year, 24 at 2, then 4 a year). Ages above about 20 are rare, so the high numbers there are only a fun comparison.
Chinchilla life stages
Chinchillas are born ready to go. Merck describes them as born fully furred with open eyes, and the Animal Diversity Web adds that newborns already have teeth and can eat plant food soon after birth. The calculator uses four chinchilla life stages:
| Life stage | Chinchilla age | Human years | What's happening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kit | Birth – 8 weeks | 0–3.3 | Born fully furred, with teeth and open eyes (Animal Diversity Web); nurses for 6–8 weeks (PetMD) |
| Juvenile | 8 weeks – 8 months | 3.3–13.3 | Weaned and growing fast; sexually mature at about 8 months (Merck) |
| Adult | 8 months – 7 years | 13.3–44 | Reaches adult weight at about 8–12 months and full size by 18–24 months (keeper sources) |
| Senior | 7+ years | 44+ | Vet checks at least twice a year (Oxbow); weight loss, dental disease and arthritis become more common |
Signs at each stage
- Kit (birth – 8 weeks): stays close to its mother and nurses for 6–8 weeks, while starting to nibble hay and pellets.
- Juvenile (8 weeks – 8 months): slimmer than an adult and gaining weight quickly. It becomes sexually mature at about 8 months (Merck, Animal Diversity Web), and PetMD calls chinchillas of this age young adults.
- Adult (8 months – 7 years): settled weight and routine, at its most active in the evening and at night.
- Senior (7+ years): Oxbow Animal Health lists chinchillas as seniors from 7 and notes weight or muscle loss, arthritis, dental disease and coat problems as common concerns in older small mammals.
How to tell a chinchilla's age
If you adopted a chinchilla with no records, you're probably wondering "how old is my chinchilla?". The second mode of the calculator combines the signs below into an age range. Each sign has limits, so here is what each one can and can't tell you:
- Weight is the best clue while a chinchilla is growing. Kits weigh 35–70 g at birth, about 198–227 g at weaning and reach adult weight at about 8–12 months. On the calculator, a 150 g chinchilla comes out at 3–6 weeks and a 250 g chinchilla at 8 weeks – 4 months. Limit: litter size, diet and illness change weight, and once a chinchilla is adult, weight says nothing about age.
- Body size: a kit still nursing is clearly tiny, and a juvenile looks slimmer than an adult. Limit: small adults and large juveniles overlap. A 500 g chinchilla that still looks small comes out at 6–12 months.
- Teeth colour and length: healthy chinchilla incisors have yellow to orange enamel (Riggs and Mitchell; dvm360). Keepers report that kits' teeth start paler and darken over the first months. Limit: pale teeth in an adult can be a sign of a diet problem, not youth, and teeth grow throughout life (PetMD), so their length shows wear and dental health, not age. The calculator gives teeth the lowest weight.
- Fur and activity: young adults are bouncy, with thick coats. Slowing down, sleeping more and coat problems are more common in seniors (Oxbow). Limit: illness, heat or stress can cause the same changes at any age.
Put together, these signs can tell a kit from a juvenile from an adult fairly well. For an adult, though, the exact age can't be determined. A healthy 2-year-old and a healthy 12-year-old can look the same. Your best clues are a breeder's or shelter's records. An exotic-animal vet can check your chinchilla's teeth, weight and overall condition.
Chinchilla weight and growth by age
This chinchilla growth chart lists the weights published by vet and zoology sources. Where they say nothing, we used experienced keepers' figures and marked them as keeper sources. Use it as a guide, not a target: Chin Care Group notes that bigger litters have smaller kits.
| Age | Weight | Ounces | Source / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | 35–70 g | 1.2–2.5 oz | Animal Diversity Web (about 35 g); Merck (60–70 g) |
| 6–8 weeks (weaning) | about 198–227 g | 7–8 oz | Chin Care Group (keeper site) |
| 8 months | — | — | Sexually mature (Merck); nearing adult weight |
| 8–12 months | 400–600 g | 14.1–21.2 oz | Adult weight reached (Chin Care Group, keeper site) |
| Adult | 400–600 g (VCA) | 14.1–21.2 oz | Merck: 450–680 g; domestic females up to 800 g (Animal Diversity Web) |
| 18–24 months | — | — | Full size; some keep filling out until 3–4 years (Chinchilla Chronicles, keeper site) |
In the "How old is my chinchilla?" mode, weights between these points are estimated by drawing straight lines between them. Fast growers are assumed to go from 70 g at birth to 227 g at 6 weeks and 600 g at 8 months, and slow growers from 35 g to 198 g at 8 weeks and 400 g at 12 months.
How big do chinchillas get?
The Merck Veterinary Manual says adult chinchillas can grow up to about 25 cm (10 in) long, plus a 15 cm (6 in) tail, and weigh 450–680 g (1–1½ lb). VCA gives 400–600 g. Females are usually larger than males, and the Animal Diversity Web says domestic females can reach about 800 g. Weigh your chinchilla regularly, because weight loss is often the first sign of illness. Oxbow recommends home health checks every month or two.
What affects a chinchilla's life expectancy?
Vet sources point to the same few factors behind a long or short life. This is general information only. Ask an exotic-animal vet about any diagnosis or treatment.
- Dental health. Chinchilla teeth are open-rooted and grow throughout life (PetMD). In small herbivores, teeth can grow up to about 2 mm a week (dvm360). The Merck Veterinary Manual reports dental disease without obvious signs in one-third of apparently healthy chinchillas seen for routine exams. PetMD calls overgrown teeth a common and potentially life-threatening problem: a chinchilla in dental pain may stop eating, and gut stasis can follow within hours or days.
- Heat. Chinchillas tolerate cold well but not heat. Merck gives a safe range of 18.3–26.7 °C (65–80 °F) and a rule of thumb: if the temperature in °F plus the % humidity is over 150, conditions are dangerous. MedVet suggests 18–22 °C (64–72 °F) and air conditioning where rooms go above 26 °C (80 °F).
- Diet. VCA recommends grass hay such as timothy, available all day, plus only 1–2 tablespoons of chinchilla pellets a day. PetMD advises no more than a tablespoon. Both say never feed nuts, seeds or dried fruit, and VCA says alfalfa only occasionally. Merck notes type II diabetes in overweight chinchillas.
- Dust baths. Chinchillas need dust baths for healthy fur (Merck). Merck suggests about 2.5 cm (1 in) of chinchilla dust, 2–3 times a week for up to 15 minutes. Bathing too often can irritate the eyes. VCA recommends daily dust baths, so ask your vet what suits your chinchilla.
- Fur slip and stress. Rough handling, fighting or over-excitement can make a chinchilla drop a patch of fur. Merck says it can take several months to grow back, so handle chinchillas gently and calmly. As prey animals, chinchillas also hide signs of illness (PetMD).
- Exercise and housing. PetMD recommends a large cage with a sleeping area, hiding places and an exercise wheel, plus daily out-of-cage time in a chinchilla-proofed room, because chinchillas chew cords and woodwork. Merck warns that young chinchillas can break a leg in wide floor mesh.
- Genetics. Because pet chinchillas come from a very small founder group, some diseases are suspected to run in families (Riggs and Mitchell).
How to help your chinchilla live longer
Here is how to help your chinchilla live longer, as a checklist built from the vet and welfare advice above:
- Find an exotic-animal vet before you need one, and book a check within 48 hours of bringing a chinchilla home, then at least yearly (VCA).
- Fill the hay rack every day: hay should be most of the diet and wears the teeth down (VCA, RSPCA).
- Measure pellets (1–2 tablespoons a day) and skip nuts, seeds, dried fruit and sugary treats (VCA, PetMD).
- Keep the room cool and dry, below about 26 °C (80 °F) (Merck, MedVet).
- Offer short dust baths a few times a week (Merck).
- Keep chinchillas in compatible pairs or groups, not alone (RSPCA).
- Give daily exercise in a chinchilla-proofed room, and use a cage with narrow floor mesh or solid floors (PetMD, Merck).
- Weigh regularly and see your vet about weight loss, drooling, eating less or fewer droppings.
- From about 7, move to twice-yearly vet checks (Oxbow, Pender Veterinary Centre).
Senior chinchilla care
When is a chinchilla a senior? Oxbow Animal Health considers chinchillas senior from 7 years (compared with 5 for rabbits and guinea pigs). Pender Veterinary Centre recommends a geriatric exam every 6 months for chinchillas over 7 and yearly blood tests from about 6–7. In human terms, 7 is about 44 on our chart. That's younger than a human senior, but a chinchilla of that age has already lived about 47% of an average pet lifespan.
Changes to expect
- Weight or muscle loss, or sometimes weight gain (Oxbow).
- Arthritis and stiffness, so less jumping and climbing.
- Dental disease, coat problems, and kidney, urinary, gut or heart problems (Oxbow). Oxbow adds that chinchillas are more prone to diabetes than many other small mammals.
Senior chinchilla care tips
- Vet visits at least twice a year (Oxbow), with blood and urine tests or X-rays if your vet suggests them.
- Adjust the diet only with your vet: Oxbow says a vet may suggest adding some alfalfa for an older pet that is losing weight, if blood tests are normal.
- Make the cage easier: add non-slip floors, ramps instead of long jumps and extra soft bedding (Oxbow).
- Keep hay and water easy to reach: Oxbow suggests at least two water sources for older small herbivores.
Chinchilla lifespan compared with other small pets
Among popular small pets, chinchillas are the clear long-lived champions. The chart and table use typical lifespan ranges from vet and welfare sources.
| Animal | Typical lifespan | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pet chinchilla | 10–20 years | RSPCA; Merck 10–15 average, up to 20; VCA 15–20 |
| Wild long-tailed chinchilla | 6–10 years | PetMD (about 6 on average in the wild); Animal Diversity Web (roughly 10) |
| Wild short-tailed chinchilla | 8–10 years | Animal Diversity Web |
| Pet rabbit | 8–12 years | House Rabbit Society (indoor rabbits) |
| Guinea pig | 5–8 years | Merck Veterinary Manual |
| Ferret | 5–10 years | Merck, PDSA, VCA, Oxbow (see our ferret page) |
| Hamster | 1.5–3 years | Merck Veterinary Manual (18 months – 3 years) |
| Pet rat | 1.5–3 years | Merck Veterinary Manual |
Chinchilla vs rabbit lifespan
Indoor pet rabbits usually live about 8–12 years (House Rabbit Society), so a chinchilla can outlive a rabbit by several years. Rabbits are also seniors sooner, from about 5 (Oxbow). See our rabbit age calculator and the rabbit lifespan by breed guide to compare.
Chinchilla vs guinea pig lifespan
Guinea pigs, also from South America, typically live 5–8 years (Merck), about half as long as a chinchilla, and are senior from about 5 (Oxbow). Ferrets usually live 5–10 years; our ferret age calculator converts ferret years to human years. Hamsters and pet rats usually live only 1.5–3 years (Merck), and pet African pygmy hedgehogs about 4–6 years (Merck, VCA) — see our hedgehog lifespan calculator.
The oldest chinchilla on record
According to Guinness World Records, the oldest chinchilla ever was Radar, a male born in Germany on 1 February 1985 and owned by Christina Anthony. He moved with her to the USA in 2002 and died in Acton, California, on 18 September 2014, aged 29 years 229 days. That's the verified chinchilla max age, and about 134.5 in human years on our chart. So how long can a chinchilla live? About 20 years at the top of the normal range, and close to 30 in an exceptional case. The calculator accepts ages up to that record.
How this chinchilla age calculator works
No veterinary body publishes a way to convert chinchilla years to human years, and online charts disagree. For a 10-year-old chinchilla we found 56 (YearsInHumanYears), 78 (Age-Converter) and about 49 if you simply scale by lifespan. We use the YearsInHumanYears chart because it fits the vet facts best. Chinchillas are sexually mature at 8 months, which is about 13.3 in human years. At 15, the middle of the 10–20 year pet range, a chinchilla is about 76, close to the global human life expectancy of about 73 years (WHO) that we also use on our tortoise page. Between chart points we interpolate month by month.
The calculator also shows the life stage (kit under 8 weeks, juvenile to 8 months, adult to 7 years, senior after that, and "beyond typical" past the top of the lifespan range), the share of an average lifespan already used, the average years remaining, a timeline and care tips. Choosing a wild species changes only the lifespan figures, because wild chinchillas mature in the same way but die sooner.
The "How old is my chinchilla?" mode gives each sign an age range and a weight: weight 3, body size 1.5, coat and activity 0.8, teeth colour 0.5. It then picks the ages that the most reliable signs agree on, and lists which signs fit. Its limits: the human-year figure compares life stages and isn't a biological measurement, and signs can't age an adult chinchilla. Only records can. For health concerns, see an exotic-animal vet.
Frequently asked questions
How long do chinchillas live as pets?
Usually 10–20 years. The RSPCA says 10–20 years, the Merck Veterinary Manual about 10–15 on average with some reaching 20, VCA 15–20 and PetMD often 10–15. Good care, especially a cool room, a hay-based diet and regular exotic-vet checks, makes the biggest difference.
What is the average chinchilla life expectancy?
About 10–15 years for most pet chinchillas, and up to 20 with excellent care. The calculator uses an average of 15 years, the middle of the 10–20 year range, which is about 76 in human years.
How long do chinchillas live in the wild?
Much less than pets. PetMD says wild chinchillas live about six years on average. The Animal Diversity Web gives roughly 10 years for the long-tailed chinchilla and 8–10 for the short-tailed chinchilla. Predators and no medical care are the main reasons.
How long can a chinchilla live?
Around 20 years at the top of the normal range (Merck, RSPCA, VCA). The oldest chinchilla on record, Radar, lived to 29 years 229 days (Guinness World Records).
Can a chinchilla live 20 years?
Yes. The Merck Veterinary Manual says some pet chinchillas have lived up to 20 years, and the RSPCA and VCA give 20 as the upper end of a normal lifespan. It takes good care and a bit of luck.
What is the oldest chinchilla ever?
Radar, a male born in Germany in 1985, who died in California in 2014 aged 29 years 229 days, according to Guinness World Records. That's about 134.5 in human years on our chart.
How old is a 10 year old chinchilla in human years?
About 56 human years. A 10-year-old chinchilla is a senior (7+), but it has used only about 67% of an average 15-year pet lifespan.
How old is a 5 year old chinchilla in human years?
About 36 human years, a healthy adult in its prime.
How old is a 1 year old chinchilla in human years?
About 20 human years. Chinchillas are sexually mature at about 8 months (Merck), about 13.3 in human years.
How do you convert chinchilla years to human years?
There is no veterinary formula, so use a chinchilla age chart. On the chart used here, a chinchilla is about 10 human years at 6 months, 20 at 1 year and 24 at 2, then adds 4 human years per year. A 15-year-old chinchilla is about 76.
Is there another way to work out a chinchilla's age in human years?
Yes, and the methods disagree. Age-Converter's chart puts a 1-year-old chinchilla at 17 and a 10-year-old at 78. Another common method counts 12 human years per year for the first two years, then 4 a year, which gives 12 at 1 year and the same 56 at 10 as our chart. Scaling by lifespan (73 ÷ 15 ≈ 4.9 human years per year) gives about 48.7 at 10, but only about 4.9 at 1, too young for an animal that is mature at 8 months. Every method is an estimate.
How can you tell how old a chinchilla is?
Weight is the best clue while a chinchilla is growing: kits weigh about 35–70 g at birth, about 200 g at weaning, and reach adult weight (400–600 g) at about 8–12 months. Body size, teeth colour and activity add smaller clues. Once a chinchilla is adult, its exact age can't be determined from these signs, so records from a breeder or shelter are the best guide.
When is a chinchilla considered a senior?
From about 7 years. Oxbow Animal Health lists chinchillas as seniors at 7+, and Pender Veterinary Centre recommends a geriatric vet exam every 6 months after 7. That's about 44 in human years on our chart.
How big do chinchillas get?
Adult chinchillas grow up to about 25 cm (10 in) long plus a 15 cm (6 in) tail (Merck) and usually weigh 400–600 g (VCA) or 450–680 g (Merck). Females are usually larger, and some domestic females reach 800 g (Animal Diversity Web).
Do chinchillas live longer than rabbits and guinea pigs?
Yes. Pet chinchillas typically live 10–20 years, compared with about 8–12 years for indoor rabbits (House Rabbit Society) and 5–8 years for guinea pigs (Merck).
This calculator gives an estimate for education and fun. Every pet ages differently — for health decisions, talk to your veterinarian.