Caviidae, the cavy family, is composed of rodents native to South America and includes the domestic guinea pig, wild cavies, and the largest living rodent, the capybara. They are found across South America in open areas from moist savanna to thorn forests or scrub desert. This family of rodents has fewer members than most other rodent families, with 19 species in 6 genera in 3 subfamilies.
Maras, subfamily Dolichotinae, are a group of rodents in the family Caviidae. These large relatives of guinea pigs are common in the Patagonian steppes of Argentina, but also live in Paraguay and elsewhere in South America. There are two extant species, the Patagonian mara of the genus Dolichotis and the Chacoan mara of the genus Pediolagus. Traditionally this species was also thought to belong to Dolichotis; however, a 2020 study by the American Society of Mammalogists found significant difference between the two mara species to warrant resurrecting the genus Pediolagus for it. Several extinct genera are also known.
The South American sea lion, also called the southern sea lion and the Patagonian sea lion, is a sea lion found on the western and southeastern coasts of South America. It is the only member of the genus Otaria. The species is highly sexually dimorphic. Males have a large head and prominent mane. They mainly feed on fish and cephalopods and haul out on sand, gravel, rocky, or pebble beaches. In most populations, breeding males are both territorial and harem holding; they establish territories first and then try to herd females into them. The overall population of the species is considered stable, estimated at 265,000 animals.
The crested duck or South American crested duck is a species of duck native to South America, belonging to the monotypic genus Lophonetta. It is sometimes included in Anas, but it belongs to a South American clade that diverged early in dabbling duck evolution. There are two subspecies: L. specularioides alticola and L. specularioides specularioides. The Patagonian crested duck is also called the southern crested duck and its range lies in the Falklands, Chile, and Argentina.
The Pampas fox, also known as grey pampean fox, Pampas zorro, Azara's fox, or Azara's zorro, is a medium-sized zorro, or "false" fox, native to the South American Pampas. Azara in some of its alternative common names is a reference to Spanish naturalist Félix de Azara.
The white-sided jackrabbit, also known as the Mexican hare, is a jackrabbit found in a limited range in North America, from southern New Mexico to northwestern and central Mexico. The animal is considered threatened in New Mexico, with its numbers in decline in recent years; its presence is uncertain in Arizona.
The hog-nosed skunks belong to the genus Conepatus and are members of the family Mephitidae (skunks). They are native to the Americas. They have white backs and tails and black underparts.
The Chacoan mara or Chacoan cavy is a relatively large South American rodent of the cavy family. They are a close relative of the better known Patagonian mara. The Chacoan mara is the sole member of the genus Pediolagus.
The mahogany glider is an endangered gliding possum native to a small region of coastal Queensland in Australia.
Rüppell's fox, also called Rüppell's sand fox, is a fox species living in desert and semi-desert regions of North Africa, the Middle East, and southwestern Asia. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2008. It is named after the German naturalist Eduard Rüppell.
The western spotted skunk is a spotted skunk of western North America.
The Flemish Giant rabbit is the largest breed of domestic rabbit. Flemish Giants are historically a utility breed used for their fur and meat. They are often kept as pets as they are known for being docile and patient when being handled.
The lesser jerboa is a small rodent of Africa and the Middle East. Its diet consists mainly of seeds and grasses.
Morgan's gerbil mouse, also known as the western Patagonian laucha, is a South American species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is named for J. P. Morgan, one of the sponsors of the expedition that first identified the species.
Buxton's jird is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in the Negev desert and the northern coastal parts of the Sinai peninsula.
The Euphrates jerboa is a rodent of the family Dipodidae and genus Scarturus. They are characteristically known as hopping rodents. They have been found in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and also occurs very marginally in southeastern Turkey. The Euphrates jerboa's natural habitats are semi-deserts, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland and hot deserts.
The southern mountain cavy is a species of South American rodent in the family Caviidae.
The desert warthog is a species of even-toed ungulate in the pig family (Suidae), found in northern Kenya and Somalia, and possibly Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. This is the range of the extant subspecies, commonly known as the Somali warthog. Another subspecies, commonly known as the Cape warthog, became extinct around 1865, but formerly occurred in South Africa.
Bosque Andino Patagónico, also known as Patagonian Andean forest, is a type of temperate to cold forest located in western Patagonia in Argentina and also in southern Chile, at the southern end of South America. The climate here is influenced by humid air masses moving in from the Pacific Ocean which lose most of their moisture as they rise over the Andes. The flora is dominated by trees, usually of the genus Nothofagus.
The Argentine Monte (NT0802), or Low Monte, is an ecoregion of dry thorn scrub and grasslands in Argentina. It is one of the driest regions in the country. Human settlements are mainly near water supplies such as rivers or oases. Deforestation and over-grazing around these settlements have caused desertification.
