Mammals · Rodentia · Chinchillidae

Southern Mountain Viscacha

Lagidium viscacia

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The 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

Lifespan

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.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

DesertMountainHerbivore Diurnal Colonial Desert Mountain Mammal

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Fun facts

comportamientoIt looks superficially like a long-tailed rabbit, though it is closer kin to the chinchilla, and groups of them sun themselves on the rocks in the early morning.
Its long tail curled upwards, together with its rabbit-like ears, gives it an unmistakable hybrid look, but it is related neither to rabbits nor to squirrels: it belongs to the chinchilla group.
It is the staple prey of the Andean cat, one of the most threatened cats in the world: where the viscachas go, the Andean cat goes after them.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Rocky outcrops, scree and crags of the puna and the high Andean steppe, up to more than 5,000 metres
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 4.4 months
Litter / clutch size: 1.5 (average)

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagidium_viscacia