EndangeredShort-tailed Chinchilla
Chinchilla chinchilla
One of the 2 viscachas on WAnimals
Mammals · Rodentia · Chinchillidae
Lagidium viscacia
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.
The southern mountain viscacha is an Andean rodent related to the chinchillas, with the look of a long-eared rabbit and a thick, curled tail that no rabbit has. It lives in colonies among the rocks and scree of the high cordillera, where it suns itself on the rocks in the middle of the day and takes refuge in the cracks at the first sign of danger. It is the main prey of the Andean cat and an important part of the diet of the puma and the culpeo on the puna.
Weight
1 kg – 3 kg
Size
30 cm – 45 cm
Life expectancy
9 years
Diet
Herbivore
Feeds mainly on plants.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Colony
Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.
Sources consulted: Wikipedia (es): Lagidium viscacia
The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 10 of 13.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Southern Mountain Viscacha — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Based on what we already know about southern mountain viscacha.
