Tag: Viscacha

Southern Viscacha: An Andean Rodent of High-Altitude
- Female southern viscachas have four reproductive organs, but only two are used.
- Southern viscachas inhabit high-altitude, rocky areas in the Andes Mountains.
- They live in colonies of up to eighty individuals, sharing burrows.
The southern viscacha (Lagidium viscacia), also known as the mountain viscacha, is a large (3.3–6.6 lb) rodent-like animal belonging to the family Chinchillidae. They are one of the Andean animals that live in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, and Ecuador. There are about 20 different varieties of this rodent, all of which were initially described during the 18th and 20th centuries. The southern viscacha is one of the four species of mountain viscachas and they appear like a rabbit-chinchilla hybrid.
No, they are not rabbits.
- See also: Viscacha: They Are neither a Rabbit nor a Rat
Appearance of Southern Viscacha
Southern viscacha (Lagidium viscacia), a species of mountain viscacha. (Cody H., CC BY 2.0)
Except for the dense, coarse hair on the tail, the thick, soft fur on the body of a southern viscacha is between 12 and 18 inches in length. Their fur is various shades of gray, brown, and black throughout Bolivia and Chile. The underbelly of the animal’s fur is often white, yellow, or a very light gray. The tails’ coiled tips may be anywhere from red to black.
For comparison, the northern viscacha’s tail is either reddish-brown or black, whereas the southern viscacha’s tip is black. The back of an Ecuadorian southern viscacha is marked with a black stripe. Their ears are long and hairy, and these animals are anywhere from 2 to 6.6 lb in weight. There is also just one set of mammary glands on the female body.
Their primary natural enemy is the Andean mountain cat.
In recent research, 55 adult individuals were separated into groups based on their place of origin and cranial (skull) measurement. Similarities between the individuals from various parts of southern Argentina, northwest Argentina, western Bolivia, and northern Chile were only mild. The coloration on the outside was quite diverse; however, gray tones were more common in the south of Argentina and yellow tones were more common in the northwest.
Where Do They Live?
(Photo by Octavio espinosa campodonico, CC BY-SA 4.0)
High in the Andes Mountains of Peru, the southern viscacha can be found at elevations of 10,000 to 16,500 feet above sea level. They are seen from western Bolivia to the southern tip of Argentina and Chile.
The snow line and the woodland line are the boundaries of this area. The distribution of this mountain viscacha is patchy throughout its range; however, it is often found at the local level.
Their lifespan in captivity reaches 19 years.
Distances of more than 6 miles between populations are not unusual for the southern viscacha. The species lives in the Andes Mountains, between the forest and the snow line, in arid, rocky places with little vegetation, dominated by coarse grasses.
Fortunately, succulent plants are more common in humid environments like those found near water. The unusual habitat of the southern viscacha is a result of its agility on rocky slopes and its tendency to seek refuge in cracks and crannies. Burrows are often set up in cracks and other rocky areas.
Nesting sites are established in deep cracks and narrow stone tunnels on huge boulders or rocky cliffs. Despite the high elevations of their habitat (6 to 10 miles high), the species has been found as low as 2000 feet.
Northern viscachas (L. peruanum), another mountain viscacha, are notable for their wide range of coloration within a single population.
What Do Southern Viscachas Eat?
Viscachas on the road to Ollagüe Volcano, Bolivia. (Roduluca, CC BY-SA 3.0)
Southern Viscachas consume the tough grasses, lichens, and mosses that make up the habitat’s scant herbaceous cover. They prefer the arid, sparsely vegetated conditions of rocky cliffs, outcrops, and slopes. Colonial in nature, the southern viscacha congregates in small groups and is most active in the early morning and late afternoon. They emerge from their burrows at certain times of the day in order to eat. They do most of their feeding between 3:00 and 6:00 in the evening.
Life in the Colony
Up to eighty individuals may coexist in a southern viscacha colony. Families of two to five individuals share a single burrow within a colony. The creatures aren’t great at digging; therefore, their burrows are in rocky nooks. They are not territorial and seldom display violent behavior.
When mating season arrives, the female evicts the male from the family burrow, and he wanders the colony in search of a new one.
They lounge about on rocks all day, soaking up the sun and grooming their fur. At dusk, individuals return to their burrows after a day of feeding. When startled, the southern viscacha may make short or lengthy hops (more than 6.5 feet high) from one rock to another. They create a high-pitched noise during alerts to warn the colony of danger. That’s why they stay within 230 feet of cover at all times.
Siloli Desert, Bolivia. (Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, enhanced from original)
Time to Delivery
At one year of age, both sexes of southern viscachas are able to successfully reproduce. Fetuses spend between 100 and 140 days in a mother’s womb. All mature females become pregnant during the mating season, which runs from October through December. One baby is born at the conclusion of each pregnancy.
Due to the long gestation time and the seasonality of mating, it is quite improbable that a female southern viscacha would conceive again in the same year after giving birth. Young are independent early on and thrive on a diet of plant matter supplemented by their mothers’ milk. While females have four reproductive organs total, only the right ovary and uterine horn are really used.
Are the Species in Danger?
An 1887 illustration.
An 1876 illustration.
Damage to or removal of the right ovary would make the left ovary active. For roughly a month, the mother exclusively breastfeeds her young. Humans increase the danger of predation on viscachas since they are hunted for their fur and flesh. The uterine horn population is in danger due to hunting and requires protection. The species has been classified as “Least Concern” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
However, conservation efforts are urgently needed for a newly found population of Lagidium ahuacaense in Ecuador, which may number in the hundreds at most.
Subspecies
- Lagidium viscacia viscacia — Molina, 1782
- Lagidium viscacia boxi — Thomas, 1921
- Lagidium viscacia cuscus — Thomas, 1907
- Lagidium viscacia cuvieri — Bennett, 1833
- Lagidium viscacia famatinae — Thomas, 1920
- Lagidium viscacia lockwoodi — Thomas, 1919
- Lagidium viscacia moreni — Thomas, 1897
- Lagidium viscacia perlutea — Thomas, 1907
- Lagidium viscacia sarae — Thomas & St. Leger, 1926
- Lagidium viscacia tontalis — Thomas, 1921
- Lagidium viscacia tucumana — Thomas, 1907
- Lagidium viscacia viatorum — Thomas, 1921
- Lagidium viscacia vulcani — Thomas, 1919
References
A new species of Mountain Viscacha (Chinchillidae: Lagidium Meyen) from the Ecuadorean Andes | (researchgate.net)
Redalyc.Mountain vizcacha (Lagidium cf. peruanum) in Ecuador – First record of chinchillidae from the northern Andes
September 25, 2023
Viscacha: They Are neither a Rabbit nor a Rat
- They are small rodents with bushy tails, diverse fur colors (gray, brown, yellowish-gray).
- They inhabit pampas, dig burrows, stay active at night, and have a communal lifestyle.
- These animals face threats from Andean cats, foxes, humans; hunted for meat and fur.
Burrowing and closely related to the chinchilla, the viscacha is a cute little rodent native to South America. The majority of their body is a shade of gray or brown, and their tail is really long and bushy. They consume a diverse diet of plant matter and are known to reside in big colonies where members of the same family are kept apart. All viscachas live mainly in the Andes Mountain range from Peru to Argentina, specifically around south-central Brazil, southeast Bolivia, and northern Argentina.
Lagidium and Lagostomus
The first viscacha was described in 1817 by the French zoologist Anselme Desmarest as the Lagostomus maximus, which is still the largest viscacha species ever discovered.
This animal belongs to the family Chinchillidae in the order Rodentia. There are two genera of the viscacha species: Lagidium and Lagostomus. The animals from the lagostomus look more like big rats, while the ones from the lagidium resemble rabbits.
Species
The genus Lagostomus consists of just one Viscacha species:
- Plains viscacha (L. maximus),
while the genus Lagidium has four Viscacha species:
- Ecuadorean mountain viscacha (L. ahuacaense)
- Northern viscacha (L. peruanum)
- Southern viscacha (L. viscacia)
- Wolffsohn’s viscacha (L. wolffsohni)
What Does a Viscacha Look Like?
Northern viscacha (Lagidium peruanum) on a rock at Machu Picchu, Cusco, Peru. (File, Alex Lee, CC BY 2.0)
A viscacha’s long, bushy tail balances out its short front legs and long back legs. Its large, silky fur can be any shade of gray, brown, or yellowish gray.
An anomaly: Ranchers see the plains viscacha as a nuisance because of its ability to strip grassland used to feed animals. Its black and gray mustache-like facial characteristics set it apart from other viscachas.
The whole length of a viscacha might range from 21 to 30 inches. The length of its tail ranges from 5.3 to 7 in. Males weigh 15.5 lb to 20 lb, while females weigh 8–10 lb. Their rear body is grayish, while they have a striped black and white face. The full-grown version of this rodent is usually between 21 and 26 inches in length and has a long, curly tail like a Shiba Inu dog.
The plains viscacha with black and gray mustache-like facial characteristics. (File, Salix, CC BY-SA 3.0)
It’s Not a Rabbit!
Its enormous ears lead many to believe it belongs to the rabbit family, but in reality, it is a rodent (perhaps even a chinchilla or gerbil, according to others). They look like rabbits with big tails, and they are very agile.
Like guinea pigs, they have four fingers on their front legs and three on their rear legs. Since evening lows can dip below -22°F (-15°C) in their habitat, their fur is quite thick and dense.
Where Does a Viscacha Live?
The pampas (low grasslands) and scrub woodlands are the homes of viscachas. Some of the species live in the Atacama Desert. They are nocturnal animals. They dig subterranean tunnels for their homes and dwell in communities of a dozen to several dozen. At the openings of their burrows, they stack stones, grass, bones, and dung.
They take advantage of the early morning sun by sitting still in it. This behavior is most often seen in reptiles, but it has also been observed in mammals like the ring-tailed lemur. The bigger viscachas have been known to sunbathe next to the smaller viscachas and even share living quarters with them.
Mountain viscacha (Lagidium peruanum). (Photo, Nelson e Mitch, CC BY-SA 3.0)
Viscachas Are Living a Tough Life
They like to make their home in elevated settings, like the rocky mountains. The limited oxygen level makes it difficult to regulate temperatures, and it may become so cold that even salt lakes freeze over, making life very tough for these animals. The warning cries of a viscacha are loud and distinctive.
They rely on their thick fur to keep them warm; keeping it in good condition is a crucial part of their routine. They are able to endure low oxygen levels and colds because of their thick coats and high number of red blood cells. This is also why they rest for long periods of time rather than exert themselves.
Their Daily Diet
Viscachas on the road to Ollagüe Volcano, Bolivia. (Roduluca, CC BY-SA 3.0)
They supposedly only move when boulders fall on them, but when they see a foreign living being, they will leap from rock to rock and go underground. As soon as the ground thaws, they go on a hunt for food.
They mostly consume grasses and grass seeds in their diet. Arid regions with sparse grasses make for difficult foraging. Food contains sufficient amounts of water for their needs. Tourists often see viscachas in rocky regions like those around the Machu Picchu ruins.
It’s not uncommon for smaller viscachas to hang onto the backs of their mothers while moving around. These animals have twins with each birth, and their expected lifespan is between 7 and 8 years, which is pretty impressive.
Predators
Andean cats, foxes, pumas, and other carnivores; eagles and other birds of prey; and humans are among their natural predators. However, predators seldom engage in a full-scale chase since they have to invest so much energy to keep up with the viscacha due to the low oxygen level around their habitat.
Puma and boa constrictors are the main examples of predators. The pampas fox, a known juvenile predator, also frequents this species’ den. The female viscachas may be prey for Geoffroy’s cat and the crab-eating foxes.
Machu Picchu, Peru. (BluesyPete, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped)
Viscachas and Humans
Due to its widespread range and impressive population, the viscacha faces little threat of extinction. However, there is always a human impact, and the competition from human-introduced cattle is believed to affect these animals.
Plus, the cute viscacha is unfortunately a popular game animal to hunt in the area. They are mostly hunted for their meat and fur. But the economic value of their pelts is lower than that of similar-range animals like the vicuña, due to their fur changing frequently.
References
Featured Image: File, Bachelot Pierre J-P, Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0
Genome Size Evolution in Animals – ScienceDirect
September 25, 2023