List of octodontids

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Common degu (Octodon degus) Degu eating a piece of dried banana.jpg
Common degu (Octodon degus)

Octodontidae is a family of mammals in the order Rodentia and part of the Caviomorpha parvorder. Members of this family are called octodontids and include degus, rock rats, and viscacha rats. They are found in southern South America, primarily in forests, shrublands, and rocky areas, though some species can be found in savannas, grasslands, and wetlands. They range in size from the coruro, at 11 cm (4 in) plus a 4 cm (2 in) tail, to the mountain viscacha rat, at 33 cm (13 in) plus a 18 cm (7 in) tail. No octodontids have population estimates, but three species—the Pacific degu, golden viscacha rat, and Chalchalero viscacha rat—are categorized as critically endangered.

Contents

The 14 extant species of Octodontidae are divided into seven genera, which range in size from one to four species. Several extinct prehistoric octodontid species have been discovered, though due to ongoing research and discoveries, the exact number and categorization is not fixed. [1]

Conventions

IUCN Red List categories
Conservation status
 EX  Extinct (0 species)
 EW  Extinct in the wild (0 species)
 CR  Critically endangered (3 species)
 EN  Endangered (0 species)
 VU  Vulnerable (1 species)
 NT  Near threatened (2 species)
 LC  Least concern (5 species)
Other categories
 DD  Data deficient (3 species)
 NE  Not evaluated (0 species)

The author citation for the species or genus is given after the scientific name; parentheses around the author citation indicate that this was not the original taxonomic placement. Conservation status codes listed follow the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Range maps are provided wherever possible; if a range map is not available, a description of the octodontid's range is provided. Ranges are based on the IUCN Red List for that species unless otherwise noted.

Classification

Octodontidae is a family consisting of fourteen extant species in seven genera. This does not include hybrid species or extinct prehistoric species.

Family Octodontidae

Octodontidae [2]

Octodontids

The following classification is based on the taxonomy described by the reference work Mammal Species of the World (2005), with augmentation by generally accepted proposals made since using molecular phylogenetic analysis, as supported by both the IUCN and the American Society of Mammalogists. [3]

Genus Aconaemys Ameghino, 1891 – three species
Common nameScientific name and subspeciesRangeSize and ecologyIUCN status and estimated population
Chilean rock rat

Aconaemys fuscus.jpg

A. fuscus
(Waterhouse, 1842)
Eastern Chile
Aconaemys fuscus map.jpg
Size: 15–17 cm (6–7 in) long, plus 5–8 cm (2–3 in) tail [4]

Habitat: Forest [5]

Diet: Roots, fruit, and other vegetation [6]
 LC 


Unknown Blue question mark (italic).svg [5]

Porter's rock rat


A. porteri
Thomas, 1917
Eastern Chile and western Argentina Size: 14–20 cm (6–8 in) long, plus 6–9 cm (2–4 in) tail [4]

Habitat: Forest and rocky areas [7]

Diet: Roots, fruit, and other vegetation [6]
 DD 


Unknown Blue question mark (italic).svg [7]

Sage's rock rat


A. sagei
Pearson, 1984
Central Chile
Aconaemys sagei map.jpg
Size: 14–16 cm (6 in) long, plus 5–7 cm (2–3 in) tail [4]

Habitat: Forest and rocky areas [8]

Diet: Roots, fruit, and other vegetation [6]
 DD 


Unknown Blue question mark (italic).svg [8]

Genus Octodon Bennett, 1823 – four species
Common nameScientific name and subspeciesRangeSize and ecologyIUCN status and estimated population
Bridges's degu


O. bridgesii
Waterhouse, 1845
Central ChileSize: 15–20 cm (6–8 in) long, plus 10–17 cm (4–7 in) tail [9]

Habitat: Forest and shrubland [10]

Diet: Grass, leaves, bark, herbs, seeds, and fruit, as well as dung [11]
 VU 


Unknown Decrease2.svg [10]

Common degu

Octodon degus -Heidelberg Zoo, Germany-8a.jpg

O. degus
(Molina, 1782)
Central Chile
Octodon degus range.svg
Size: 16–21 cm (6–8 in) long, plus 8–14 cm (3–6 in) tail [9]

Habitat: Shrubland [12]

Diet: Grass, leaves, bark, herbs, seeds, and fruit, as well as dung [11]
 LC 


Unknown Blue question mark (italic).svg [12]

Moon-toothed degu


O. lunatus
Osgood, 1943
Central Chile
Octodon lunatus range.svg
Size: 16–22 cm (6–9 in) long, plus 15–17 cm (6–7 in) tail [9]

Habitat: Shrubland and rocky areas [13]

Diet: Grass, leaves, bark, herbs, seeds, and fruit, as well as dung [11]
 NT 


Unknown Decrease2.svg [13]

Pacific degu


O. pacificus
R. Hutterer, 1994
Mocha Island in Chile
Octodon pacificus distribution.svg
Size: 12–20 cm (5–8 in) long, plus 16–17 cm (6–7 in) tail [9]

Habitat: Forest [14]

Diet: Grass, leaves, bark, herbs, seeds, and fruit, as well as dung [11]
 CR 


Unknown Decrease2.svg [14]

Genus Octodontomys Palmer, 1903 – one species
Common nameScientific name and subspeciesRangeSize and ecologyIUCN status and estimated population
Mountain degu

Octodontomys gliroides 238516748.jpg

O. gliroides
(Gervais & d'Orbigny, 1844)
Northern Chile, southwestern Bolivia, and northwestern Argentina
Octodontomys gliroides range.svg
Size: 16–19 cm (6–7 in) long, plus 10–19 cm (4–7 in) tail [9]

Habitat: Shrubland, grassland, and rocky areas [15]

Diet: Acacia seed pods and cactus fruits [11]
 LC 


Unknown Steady2.svg [15]

Genus Octomys Thomas, 1920 – one species
Common nameScientific name and subspeciesRangeSize and ecologyIUCN status and estimated population
Mountain viscacha rat


O. mimax
Thomas, 1920
Western ArgentinaSize: 14–33 cm (6–13 in) long, plus 10–18 cm (4–7 in) tail [9]

Habitat: Rocky areas [16]

Diet: Roots, bark, and cactus [17]
 LC 


Unknown Blue question mark (italic).svg [16]

Genus Pipanacoctomys Mares, Braun, Barquez, & Díaz, 2000 – one species
Common nameScientific name and subspeciesRangeSize and ecologyIUCN status and estimated population
Golden viscacha rat


P. aureus
Mares, Braun, Barquez, & Díaz, 2000
Northwestern ArgentinaSize: 16–18 cm (6–7 in) long, plus 12–15 cm (5–6 in) tail [9]

Habitat: Inland wetlands [18]

Diet: Leaves and stems [19]
 CR 


Unknown Decrease2.svg [18]

Genus Spalacopus Wagler, 1832 – one species
Common nameScientific name and subspeciesRangeSize and ecologyIUCN status and estimated population
Coruro

Cururo en el Parque natural Gomez Carreno.jpg

S. cyanus
(Molina, 1782)

Three subspecies
  • S. c. cyanus
  • S. c. maulinus
  • S. c. poeppigii
Central ChileSize: 11–17 cm (4–7 in) long, plus 4–6 cm (2 in) tail [4]

Habitat: Forest, savanna and grassland [20]

Diet: Tubers and stems of Leucocoryne and other plants [21]
 LC 


Unknown Blue question mark (italic).svg [20]

Genus Tympanoctomys Yepes, 1942 – three species
Common nameScientific name and subspeciesRangeSize and ecologyIUCN status and estimated population
Chalchalero viscacha rat


T. loschalchalerosorum
Mares, Braun, Barquez, & Díaz, 2000
Northern ArgentinaSize: 14–16 cm (6 in) long, plus 11–12 cm (4–5 in) tail [9]

Habitat: Wetlands and shrublands [22]

Diet: Leaves and stems [19]
 CR 


Unknown Decrease2.svg [22]

Kirchner's viscacha rat


T. kirchnerorum
Teta, Pardiñas, Sauthier, & Gallardo, 2014
Southern ArgentinaSize: 11–14 cm (4–6 in) long, plus 11–12 cm (4–5 in) tail [9]

Habitat: Shrubland, grassland [23]

Diet: Leaves and stems [19]
 DD 


Unknown Blue question mark (italic).svg [23]

Plains viscacha rat

Tympanoctomys barrerae.jpg

T. barrerae
(B. Lawrence, 1941)
Western Argentina
Tympanoctomys barrerae range.png
Size: 12–16 cm (5–6 in) long, plus 9–15 cm (4–6 in) tail [9]

Habitat: Shrubland [24]

Diet: Leaves and stems [19]
 NT 


Unknown Blue question mark (italic).svg [25]

References

  1. "Fossilworks: Capromyidae". Paleobiology Database . University of Wisconsin–Madison. Archived from the original on December 7, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2025.
  2. Kelt; Lessa; Salazar-Bravo, pp. 694–719
  3. Wilson; Reeder, pp. 1570-1573
  4. 1 2 3 4 Chernasky; Motis; Burgin, p. 366
  5. 1 2 Roach, N. (2016). "Aconaemys fuscus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T278A78318793. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T278A78318793.en .
  6. 1 2 3 Nowak, p. 1685
  7. 1 2 Roach, N. (2016). "Aconaemys porteri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T136331A22239645. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T136331A22239645.en .
  8. 1 2 Roach, N. (2016). "Aconaemys sagei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T279A78318855. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T279A78318855.en .
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Chernasky; Motis; Burgin, p. 365
  10. 1 2 Roach, N. (2017) [errata version of 2016 assessment]. "Octodon bridgesi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T15087A115124772. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T15087A78321197.en .
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Nowak, p. 1682
  12. 1 2 Roach, N. (2016). "Octodon degus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T15088A78321302. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T15088A78321302.en .
  13. 1 2 Roach, N. . (2016). "Octodon lunatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T15089A78321388. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T15089A78321388.en .
  14. 1 2 Roach, N. (2016). "Octodon pacificus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T15090A78321512. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T15090A78321512.en .
  15. 1 2 Weksler, M. (2016). "Octodontomys gliroides". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T15091A22240265. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T15091A22240265.en .
  16. 1 2 Roach, N. (2016). "Octomys mimax". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T15093A78321632. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T15093A78321632.en .
  17. Nowak, p. 1681
  18. 1 2 Roach, N. (2016). "Tympanoctomys aureus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T136557A78324400. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T136557A78324400.en .
  19. 1 2 3 4 Nowak, p. 1683
  20. 1 2 Roach, N. (2016). "Spalacopus cyanus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T20427A78323110. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T20427A78323110.en .
  21. Nowak, p. 1684
  22. 1 2 Roach, N. (2016). "Tympanoctomys loschalchalerosorum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T136714A78324608. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T136714A78324608.en .
  23. 1 2 Roach, N. (2016). "Tympanoctomys kirchnerorum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T86051353A86051372. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T86051353A86051372.en .
  24. Roach, N. (2016). "Tympanoctomys barrerae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22586A78323698. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T22586A78323698.en .
  25. Roach, N. (2016). "Tympanoctomys barrerae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22586A78323698. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T22586A78323698.en . Retrieved December 26, 2024.


Sources