Chinchilla rats or chinchillones are rodents of the family Abrocomidae. This family has few members compared to most rodent families, with only nine known living species. They resemble chinchillas in appearance, with a similar soft fur and silvery-grey color, but have a body structure more like a short-tailed rat. They are social, tunnel-dwelling animals, and live in the Andes Mountains of South America. They are probably herbivorous, although this is not clear.
Abrocoma is a genus of abrocomid rodents found in the Andes of South America, from southern Peru to central Chile. The genus contains eight species, most of which are found in isolated mountain ranges in northwestern Argentina. The oldest fossil record for the Caviomorpha appears at the late Eocene-Early Oligocene transition. The Abrocoma has an interesting body structure for example within its own head it has a sac that contains a liquid that is not named by Janet K. Braun and Michael A. Mares(894). They also have feet that are padded which helped to completely say with certainty that it is a rock dweller but also a rock climber.(896).
The Asháninka arboreal chinchilla rat is a large species of chinchilla rats from the Andes of far northern Cusco in Peru. It was first scientifically described in 1999.
The Machu Picchu arboreal chinchilla rat is a large species of South American chinchilla rats, known from skeletal remains found by members of the Peruvian Expedition of 1912. The animals were buried alongside people in ancient Inca tombs at Machu Picchu in Peru. It was considered extinct by the IUCN in 2008, but conservation status was changed to data deficient in 2016. Photos of a rodent taken at Machu Picchu in late 2009 likely show this species, a finding apparently confirmed in 2014.
Oecomys paricola, also known as the Brazilian oecomys, Brazilian arboreal rice rat, or South Amazonian arboreal rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oecomys of family Cricetidae. It is found in northeastern Peru as well as central Brazil south of the Amazon, where it lives in lowland tropical rainforests.
Oecomys trinitatis, also known as the long-furred oecomys, long-furred rice rat, Trinidad arboreal rice rat, or big arboreal rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oecomys of family Cricetidae. As currently constituted, it has a wide distribution in Central America and South America, being found in southern Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, much of Brazil, eastern Ecuador, and eastern Peru.
The Rio de Janeiro arboreal rat is a rodent species from South America. It is found in Brazil. It is the only species in the genus Phaenomys.
The Incan little mastiff bat is a species of bat in the family Molossidae, the free-tailed bats. It belongs to the subgenus Micronomus.
The Altiplano chinchilla mouse or achallo is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is the only species in the genus Chinchillula. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru.
Melanomys robustulus, also known as the robust melanomys or robust dark rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Melanomys of family Cricetidae. It is found on the eastern slope of the Andes in Ecuador.
Melanomys zunigae, also known as Zuniga's melanomys or Zuniga's dark rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Melanomys of family Cricetidae. Known only from a small region of coastal Peru, it is listed as "critically endangered" by the IUCN and may even be extinct.
Microryzomys minutus, also known as the montane colilargo or the forest small rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Microryzomys of family Cricetidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, but these populations may represent more than one species.
Oecomys flavicans, also known as the tawny oecomys or yellow arboreal rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oecomys of family Cricetidae. It is found in the mountains of northwestern Venezuela and nearby Colombia.
Oecomys phaeotis, also known as the dusky arboreal rice rat or dusky oecomys, is a species of rodent in the genus Oecomys of family Cricetidae. It is found on the eastern slopes of the Andes of Peru, at 1500 to 2000 m altitude.
Oligoryzomys arenalis, also known as the sandy colilargo or sandy pygmy rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oligoryzomys of family Cricetidae. It is found in the Andes of Peru at 400 to 2850 m altitude, but may include more than one species.
Nephelomys keaysi, also known as Keays's oryzomys or Keays's rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Nephelomys of family Cricetidae. It is found from southeastern Peru to northern Bolivia on the eastern slope of the Andes in Yungas humid forest at altitudes of 1000 to 2600 m. Although its continued existence is not in serious danger and it is listed as "least concern", destruction of its habitat may pose a threat to some populations.
The Colombian soft-furred spiny-rat, or arboreal soft-furred spiny-rat, is a species of rodent in the family Echimyidae. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
The bare-tailed armored tree-rat is a species of arboreal rodent in the family Echimyidae. It is found in lowland tropical rainforest east of the Andes in Ecuador and Peru.
Budin's chinchilla rat is a species of chinchilla rat in the family Abrocomidae. Found only in Argentina, the categorization of this species was based on analysis of four specimens which were caught among the rocks in the clefts of which it lived. It is specifically known from Otro Cerro, Catamarca Province and known to occur in rocky areas over 3,000 meters above sea level; research shows it may be confined to Sierra de Ambato in Catamarca Province and La Rioja Province. In 2002, Braun and Mares from the University of Oklahoma examined this specimen and confirmed it to be a separate species. Not enough is known about this species for the IUCN to assess its conservation status.
Euryoryzomys macconnelli, also known as MacConnell's rice rat or MacConnell's oryzomys, is a rodent species from South America. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela, where it lives in lowland tropical rainforest. It was formerly placed in the genus Oryzomys, as Oryzomys macconnelli, but in 2006 it was reclassified as the type species of the new genus Euryoryzomys.
