Kangaroo rats, small mostly nocturnal rodents of genus Dipodomys, are native to arid areas of western North America. The common name derives from their bipedal form. They hop in a manner similar to the much larger kangaroo, but developed this mode of locomotion independently, like several other clades of rodents.
The common degu, or, historically, the degu, is a small hystricomorpha rodent endemic to the Chilean matorral ecoregion of central Chile. The name degu on its own indicates either the entire genus Octodon or, more commonly, just the common degu. Common degus belong to the parvorder Caviomorpha of the infraorder Hystricognathi, along with the chinchilla and guinea pig. The word degu comes from the indigenous language of Chile, Mapudungun, and the word dewü, meaning 'mouse' or 'rat'.
The family Chinchillidae is in the order Rodentia and consists of the chinchillas, the viscachas, and their fossil relatives. This family is restricted to southern and western South America, mostly living in mountainous regions of the Andes but one species living on plains. They are medium to large-sized rodents, weighing from 800 g (28 oz) to 8 kg (18 lb), with strong hind legs and large ears and a bushy tail. All species have thick, soft fur, which is considered valuable in some cultures.
Viscacha or vizcacha are rare rodents of two genera in the family Chinchillidae. They are native to South America and convergently resemble rabbits.
The lesser jerboa is a small rodent of Africa and the Middle East. Its diet consists mainly of seeds and grasses.
The Talas tuco-tuco is a species of tuco-tuco endemic to eastern Argentina.
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.
Lagidium is a genus of rodents in the family Chinchillidae.
The southern viscacha is a species of viscacha, a rodent in the family Chinchillidae found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. It is a colonial animal living in small groups in rocky mountain areas. It has long ears and hind legs and resembles a rabbit in appearance apart from its long, bushy tail, but is not a lagomorph.
Wolffsohn's viscacha, locally known as chinchillón anaranjado, is a rare species of rodent in the family Chinchillidae. This species occurs in southwestern Argentina and adjacent Chile. It occurs up to about 4,000 m (13,000 ft) above sea level. It is found in rocky outcrops in mountainous areas.
Lagostomus is a South American genus of rodents in the family Chinchillidae. It contains a single living species, the plains viscacha, and it is the only Holocene genus in the subfamily Lagostominae.
The mountain viscacha rat or mountain vizcacha rat, historically viscacha rat or vizcacha rat, is a species of rodent in the family Octodontidae. It is endemic to Argentina.
The plains viscacha rat, plains vizcacha rat, red viscacha rat, or red vizcacha rat is a species of rodent in the family Octodontidae native to Argentina. It is one of three species in the genus Tympanoctomys.
Octodontidae is a family of rodents, restricted to southwestern South America. Fourteen species of octodontid are recognised, arranged in seven genera. The best known species is the common degu, Octodon degus.
Lagidium ahuacaense is a rodent in the mountain viscacha genus (Lagidium) that occurs in southern Ecuador. First observed in 2005 and formally described in 2009, it occurs more than 500 km (310 mi) north of the nearest previously known population of mountain viscachas in central Peru. Only a single population is known, found on rocky habitats on Cerro El Ahuaca, an isolated granite mountain in southern Ecuador, and as few as several dozen individuals remain. The species is threatened by fires and grazing cattle, and the discoverers recommended its conservation status be assessed as critically endangered.
Kirchner's viscacha rat or Kirchner's vizcacha rat is a species of rodent in the family Octodontidae described in 2014. It is one of three species in the genus Tympanoctomys. That species is endemic to Chubut Province in the central western Argentina, where it has a fragmented range. Its natural habitat is desert scrubland, dunes and salt flats, where it eats halophyte plants. It is a solitary, nocturnal rodent that constructs large mounds with complex burrows. The species was named in honor of both Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and Néstor Kirchner, presidents of Argentina.
Boa constrictor occidentalis, also commonly known as the Argentine boa, is a subspecies of large, heavy-bodied, nonvenomous, constricting snake. Boa constrictor occidentalis is a member of the family Boidae, found in the subtropical temperate west of Argentina and Paraguay, although some members have been reported to exist in Bolivia as well.
Communal burrow refers to the habitat built by some species of mammals as a community habitat. There are some species that build burrows, but not communal burrows; and there are some species that live in communal groups, but do not construct burrows or any other type of habitat.
Phyla canescens is a species of perennial herbaceous plant in the family Verbenaceae, native to South America. It has been introduced to Australia as an ornamental plant and low-maintenance lawn, but has become naturalised and is considered a serious environmental weed. It is known by several common names including carpet weed, Condamine couch, Condamine curse, fog fruit, frog fruit, hairy fogfruit, lippia, mat grass and no-mow grass.
