Southern viscacha

Southern viscacha
Conservation status

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Chinchillidae
Genus: Lagidium
Species: L. viscacia
Binomial name
Lagidium viscacia
(Molina, 1782)

The southern viscacha (Lagidium viscacia) is a species of rodent in the family Chinchillidae and is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru. It is a colonial animal living in small groups in rocky mountain areas. It has long ears and hind legs and resembles a rabbit in appearance apart from its long, bushy tail.

Description

The southern viscacha has yellowish-grey upperparts, paler underparts and a black-tipped bushy tail. The body fur is long and soft while that on the tail is coarse. The long fur-covered ears have a white fringe and both the short front legs and longer hind legs have four digits on the feet. The soles of the feet have fleshy pads called "pallipes" and they can move about with agility over rocky surfaces. The weight of an adult southern viscacha is about 3 kilograms (6.6 lb).[2][3]

Distribution and habitat

The southern viscacha is native to the mountainous parts of western Argentina, southern Peru, western and central Bolivia and the northern and central parts of Chile. It lives in and among rocks and around crags where the vegetation is sparse.[2] Its elevation range is about 2,500 to 5,100 metres (8,200 to 16,700 ft) above sea level.[1]

Behaviour

The southern viscacha does not hibernate and is mostly active soon after dawn and again in the evening. At these times it emerges from its underground hiding place to feed on what plant material is available which is mostly grasses and moss, and it also eats lichens. Part of the day is spent perched on a rock sunbathing, grooming or resting. Southern viscachas are a colonial species and do not venture far from rocks so that they can plunge underground if danger threatens. They have various calls that they use to communicate with each other.[2][3] They are preyed on by the Andean mountain cat (Leopardus jacobitus) and they form a substantial part of its diet.[4]

Breeding starts in the last quarter of the year when mating takes place. The gestation period is about 130 days and a single precocial pup (or sometimes two) is born which has its eyes open and is fully clad in fur at birth. It suckles for about eight weeks but is able to supplement the milk with solid food within hours of its birth. The average lifespan is unknown but one individual survived for nineteen years in captivity.[2]

Status

The southern viscacha is a common species and locally abundant but it is prone to wide swings in population due to adverse weather conditions. It is hunted for its flesh and its fur but not to such an extent as to reduce its numbers significantly. The IUCN lists it as being of "Least Concern".[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Dunnum, J.; Vargas, J.; Bernal, N.; Zeballos, H.; Lessa, E.; Ojeda, R.; Bidau, C. (2008). Lagidium viscacia. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Shefferly, Nancy (1999). "Lagidium viscacia: southern viscacha". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Myers, Phil (2002). "Chinchillidae: chinchillas and viscachas". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  4. ↑ Walker, R. Susan; Novaro, Andrés J.; Perovic, Pablo; Palacios, Rocio; Donadio, Emiliano; Lucherini, Mauro; Pia, Mónica; López, María Soledad (2007). "Diets of three species of Andean carnivores in high-altitude deserts of Argentina". Journal of Mammalogy 88 (2): 519–525. doi:10.1644/06-MAMM-A-172R.1.
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