Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Cladus: Synapsida
Cladus: Eupelycosauria
Cladus: Sphenacodontia
Cladus: Sphenacodontoidea
Cladus: Therapsida
Cladus: Theriodontia
Cladus: Cynodontia
Cladus: Mammaliaformes
Classis: Mammalia
Subclassis: Trechnotheria
Infraclassis: Zatheria
Supercohort: Theria
Cohort: Eutheria
Cohort: Placentalia
Cladus: Boreoeutheria
Superordo: Euarchontoglires
Ordo: Rodentia
Subordo: Hystricomorpha
Infraordo: Hystricognathi
Infraordo: Caviomorpha
Superfamilia: Octodontoidea
Familia: Octodontidae
Genus: Aconaemys
Species: Aconaemys fuscus
Name
Aconaemys fuscus (Waterhouse, 1842)
Vernacular names
English: Chilean Rock Rat
References
Aconaemys fuscus in Mammal Species of the World.
Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn M. (Editors) 2005. Mammal Species of the World – A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. Third edition. ISBN 0-8018-8221-4.
The Chilean rock rat (Aconaemys fuscus) is a species of rodent in the family Octodontidae.[2] It is found in the high Andes of Argentina and Chile.
Description
The Chilean rock rat is a short-tailed rodent. Rock rats in the genus Aconaemys are similar to those in the genus Ctenomys but not so specialised for life underground. The ears are rather larger, the claws on the front feet which are used for digging are smaller, and the edging of hairs on the hind feet, used for shifting loose soil, is reduced in size.[3]
The upper parts of the Chilean rock rat are dark brown, with the underparts ranging from reddish brown to white. Sample specimens described in 1966 and 1984, from two different locations, had a head-and-body length ranging from 135 mm (5 in) to 187 mm (7 in), with the tail adding another 58 mm (2 in) – 80 mm (3 in) to the animal's total length.[3][4]
Its karyotype has 2n = 56 and FN = 108.[2]
Distribution and habitat
This species is endemic to parts of Argentina and Chile in the high Andes in South America. Its range extends from about 33°S to 41°S. In Argentina, it is restricted to thick forests of bamboo and Nothofagus dombeyi, but in Chile it is found in monkey puzzle (Araucaria) and southern beech (Nothofagus) forests, and above the tree line, usually among tussocky grass.[3] It occurs up to about 4,000 metres (13,100 ft).[1]
Ecology
The Chilean rock rat is a semi-fossorial species and constructs a network of shallow tunnels and runways with entrances every metre or so. These burrows resemble those of Spalacopus and Ctenomys and are sometimes also used by Akodon longipilis and Geoxus valdivianus. It seems to be a colonial species and feeds on roots and seeds, apparently specialising on the roots and seeds of Araucaria in Chile. It is mainly active by night but sometimes also by day. It stores food for use in winter when it is active, moving about under the snow.[3]
Status
A. fuscus has a wide range and seems to be plentiful. No particular threats have been identified and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".[1]
References
Roach, N. (2016). "Aconaemys fuscus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T278A78318793. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T278A78318793.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
Woods, C.A.; Kilpatrick, C.W. (2005). "Infraorder Hystricognathi". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 1571. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
Eisenberg, John F.; Redford, Kent H. (1992). Mammals of the Neotropics, Volume 2: The Southern Cone: Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay. University of Chicago Press. p. 355. ISBN 978-0-226-70682-5.
Ronald M. Nowak (1999). Walker's Mammals of the World. JHU Press. p. 1685. ISBN 978-0-8018-5789-8.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/"
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
