Tuco-tuco
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 Female Patagonian Tuco-tuco
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The tuco-tucos are members of a group of rodents that belong to the family Ctenomyidae. The tuco-tucos belong to a single genus: Ctenomys, but they include some 50 different species. The relationships between one another are debated by taxonomists, but it is thought they are related to porcupines, guinea pigs, and capybaras. All species of tuco-tuco are found in South America. They are heavily built with short legs. Their skin is loosely applied, possibly to slide about the tunnels they create. They have long forefeet for burrowing and bristled hind feet for grooming. They also have large heads and hairy tails. Ecologically speaking, the tuco-tucos are the South American version of the North American pocket gophers.
[edit] Species
- Argentine Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys argentinus)
- Azara's Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys azarae)
- Bolivian Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys boliviensis)
- Bonetto's Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys bonettoi)
- Brazilian Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys brasiliensis)
- Catamarca Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys knighti)
- Chacoan Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys dorsalis)
- Colburn's Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys colburni)
- Collared Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys torquatus)
- Conover's Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys conoveri)
- Emily's Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys emilianus)
- Forest Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys frater)
- Furtive Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys occultus)
- Goya Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys perrensis)
- Haig's Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys haigi)
- Highland Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys opimus)
- Lewis' Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys lewisi)
- Magellanic Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys magellanicus)
- Maule Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys maulinus)
- Mendoza Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys mendocinus)
- Mottled Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys latro)
- Natterer's Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys nattereri)
- Pearson's Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys pearsoni)
- Peruvian Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys peruanus)
- Porteous' Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys porteousi)
- Rio Negro's Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys rionegrensis)
- Robust Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys tuconax)
- Salta Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys saltarius)
- San Luis Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys pontifex)
- Silky Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys sericeus)
- Social Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys sociabilis)
- Southern Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys australis)
- Steinbach's Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys steinbachi)
- Strong Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys validus)
- Talas Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys talarum)
- Tawny Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys fulvus)
- Tiny Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys minutus)
- Tucuman Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys tucumanus)
- White-Toothed Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys leucodon)
[edit] Tuco-tucos in popular culture
Tuco-tucos, due to their habits of burrowing underground, renders them unknown in popular culture. However recently the tuco-tuco did show its furry face in the video game Pitfall in 2003. In Pitfall, the tuco-tucos are burrowing rabbit-like creatures that do practically nothing except pop out of their burrows. There are few times when in the game tuco-tucos interact with the simulated environment. One such example is a tuco-tuco impaled on a spit in a native village.
