| Mountain degu | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Octodontidae |
| Genus: | Octodontomys Palmer, 1903 |
| Species: | O. gliroides |
| Binomial name | |
| Octodontomys gliroides | |
The mountain degu (Octodontomys gliroides) is a species of rodent in the family Octodontidae. It is the only species in the genus Octodontomys. [2] It is found in the foothills of the Andes in Argentina, Bolivia and Chile.
The mountain degu is a moderate sized rodent with a length of 200 to 380 mm (8 to 15 in), including a tail of 100 to 190 mm (4 to 7 in), and a bodyweight in the range 100 to 200 grams (4 to 7 oz). The hairs are long and silky. The upper surface is greyish-brown, the chin is pure white, and the underparts are white with a grey base to the hairs. There is a tuft of white hair in front of the large ears, which are clad in short grey hair. The slender tail is bi-coloured (dark above and pale below) and has a tuft of brown or ochre hairs at the tip. Juveniles have darker fur above and greyer underparts. Their tails are brownish with a dark brown or black tufted tip. [3]
This species is found in the mountainous areas of southwestern Bolivia, northwestern Argentina and northern Chile. It has a wide altitudinal range, occurring at 200 to 300 metres (660 to 980 ft) in Jujuy Province in Argentina, and at 4,400 metres (14,400 ft) in Potosí Department in Bolivia. The only species of octodontid found in the higher parts of its range, it inhabits dry rocky areas with tall cacti, shrubs and herbs. [3]
The mountain degu is a mainly diurnal, herbivorous rodent. It does not have any special adaptations of skull or limbs for tunnelling but digs short burrows as well as living under rocks and in caves. Its tail can be autotomised and when climbing, it can be used as a prop. It is a sociable animal and communicates by means of a range of low, medium and high-pitched gurgles, twitters and squeaks. It feeds on the leaves and bark of shrubs, and on Acacia sheaths in the winter and on cactus fruits in the summer. It can obtain sufficient moisture from its food, particularly cactus, to satisfy its water requirements. [3]
Little is known of the breeding habits of the mountain degu, but young in various stages of development have been found in November, and pregnant females and young in both January and May. A gestation period of around 105 days has been reported with a litter size of one to three pups. The pups are precocial when born, already having their eyes open and being well-furred. [3]
O. gliroides is listed as being of "least concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature because of its wide distribution, its presumed large population, its occurrence in some protected areas and apparent tolerance of some degree of habitat modification. [1]
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Boehm's gerbil is a species of rodent found in Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, moist savanna, and arable land. This is a common species with a wide distribution which faces no obvious threats, so in 2004 the International Union for Conservation of Nature rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
The Guinean gerbil is a species of rodent found in Burkina Faso, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and possibly Liberia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, dry savanna, rocky areas and arable land, but it is mostly found in areas laterite or clay soils, and with variable amounts of vegetation and dense scrub. This species is described as common and has a stable population and a wide distribution, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
The gracile tateril or slender gerbil is a species of rodent found in Burkina Faso, Chad, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, and possibly Cameroon. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, arable land, pastureland, and rural gardens. It is a common species, sometimes considered an agricultural pest, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Bennett's chinchilla rat is a species of chinchilla rat in the family Abrocomidae. It is found only in Chile where its habitat is Mediterranean-type scrub on the western side of the Andes. The IUCN has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
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The northern viscacha is a species of viscacha, a rodent in the family Chinchillidae. It is known from Peru and Chile, at elevations from 300 to 5000 m, and may also be present in Bolivia.
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The northern voalavo, also known as the naked-tailed voalavo or simply the voalavo, is a rodent in the family Nesomyidae found in the Northern Highlands of Madagascar. Discovered in 1994 and formally described in 1998, it is the type species of the genus Voalavo; its closest relative is the eastern voalavo of the Central Highlands. DNA sequencing suggests that it may be more closely related to Grandidier's tufted-tailed rat than to other species of the closely related genus Eliurus. The northern voalavo is found at 1,250 to 1,950 m above sea level in montane wet and dry forests in the Marojejy and Anjanaharibe-Sud massifs. Nocturnal and solitary, it lives mainly on the ground, but it can climb and probably eats plant matter. Despite having a small range, the species is classified as being of least concern because it lacks obvious threats and much of its range is within protected areas.
The Degus are a group of octodontid rodents in the Octodontidae family, but historically referred to the common degu.
