Ashy chinchilla rat
| Ashy chinchilla rat | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Abrocomidae |
| Genus: | Abrocoma |
| Species: | A. cinerea |
| Binomial name | |
| Abrocoma cinerea Thomas, 1919 | |
The ashy chinchilla rat (Abrocoma cinerea) is a species of chinchilla rats in the family Abrocomidae found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru.
Description
Their total length is 21–43 cm, with the body being 15-25 cm and the tail being 6-8 cm. They have soft, thick, silver fur on the top of their bodies, and white or yellow fur on their abdomens. They have four toes on their front feet, and five toes on their back feet.
Behavior and diet
They are herbivores, so they eat seeds, fruit, and nuts. They make squeaking and grunting noises when they are scared or fighting.[2]
Hunting
They are hunted for their fur, which is sold in markets, sometimes to tourists.
References
- ↑ Dunnum, J., Bernal, N., Vivar, E., Jayat, J. & Ojeda, R. (2008). Abrocoma cinerea. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
- ↑ http://animals.jrank.org/pages/3485/Chinchilla-Rats-Abrocomidae-ASHY-CHINCHILLA-RAT-Abrocoma-cinerea-SPECIES-ACCOUNT.html
- Woods, C. A. and C. W. Kilpatrick. 2005. Hystricognathi. pp 1538–1600 in Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference 3rd ed. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C.
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