Chinchilla rat

The Chinchilla rats ( Abrocomidae ) are a family from the subordination of the porcupine relatives ( Hystricomorpha ) within the rodents. The family includes two genera with about five species.

Dissemination

Chinchilla rats inhabit the Andean region in southwestern South America, their range includes the southern Peru, Bolivia, northwestern Argentina, and northern and central regions of Chile.

Description

Chinchilla rats are rat-like animals with a pointed snout, large round ears and big eyes. Their fur is long and soft, it is similar to the chinchilla fur and is colored silver gray or brownish, the underside is lighter. The legs are short, the forefeet have four and the hind feet have five toes, wear soft nail-like claws. The tail is covered with shorter hair than the body and dense. These animals can reach a body length 15-25 cm, a tail length of 6-18 cm and a weight of about 200 to 300 grams.

Way of life

Habitat of Chinchilla rats are mountainous areas up to 5000 meters above sea level. They live in small groups of around six animals in burrows or caves. They are nocturnal and can climb very well, in search of food they are found often on trees or shrubs. The food of these animals consists mainly of seeds, fruits and nuts.

Reproduction

Little is known about the reproduction of these animals. The gestation period is estimated to be around 120 days and the litter size to one or two. The highest known age of a chinchilla rat was almost two and a half years.

Chinchilla rats and humans

Since her coat looks similar to the chinchillas, chinchilla rats are sometimes hunted. A commercial trade, however, has not been established because the furs are far less valuable. However, there are reports that their skins are sometimes sold as genuine bona fide tourists chinchilla skins overpriced. The destruction of the habitat has also meant that they are in some places become rare. Overall, they are less at risk than other rodent species, only Abrocoma bolivia is listed by the IUCN as endangered.

System

External system

Relations with other rodent groups are still controversial. According to McKenna and Bell ( Classification of Mammals: Above the Species Level ) they, together with the chinchillas, the chinchilla -like superfamily ( Chinchilloidea ); other research results they arranged in the vicinity of deceit rats ( Octodontidae ).

The types

There are two genera and about six species are known:

• Abrocoma Abrocoma bennettii lives in the central part of Chile.
• Abrocoma boliviensis is located in the central part of Bolivia.
• Abrocoma cinerea inhabits the Altiplano region in Peru, Bolivia and northwestern Argentina.
• Abrocoma vaccarum lives in western Argentina, but is often included as subspecies of A. cinerea.

• Cuscomys Ashaninka was discovered near Cusco in 1999. The species has a distinctive white stripe on her head.
• Cuscomys oblativa only known from subfossil remains from a 1912 studied Inca grave near Machu Picchu.