The domestic chinchilla is descended from Chinchilla lanigera, the long-tailed Chinchilla. They are the more common one in the wild, as the other species, Chinchilla chinchilla, or short-tailed Chinchilla, has been hunted nearly to extinction. Therefore, domestic chinchillas have thinner bodies, longer tails and larger ears. In the wild, the average life-span of a chinchilla is ten years; however, they could live up to 20 years in human care. Chinchillas are popular pets, though they require ext