| Southern tuco-tuco | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Ctenomyidae |
| Genus: | Ctenomys |
| Species: | C. australis |
| Binomial name | |
| Ctenomys australis Rusconi, 1934 | |
The southern tuco-tuco (Ctenomys australis) is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. [2] It is endemic to Argentina.
The southern tuco-tuco is a large rodent, ranging in weight from 250–600 grams. Its head-body length is 15–25 cm, while its tail length is 6–11 cm. [3] At this size, it is one of the largest species within the genus Ctenomys. [4]
They are characterized by their large head, short legs, and considerable incisors. [5] Their pelage ranges in color from dark brown to black with pale-grey underparts, resembling the sandy soil of its habitat. [6] Its tail, however, has no hair. [5]
The southern tuco-tuco lives sympatrically with the Talas tuco-tuco (C. talarum) in the coastal grassland and sand dune areas of the Buenos Aires Province, Argentina along the Atlantic coast. Its region ranges from Necochea to Bahia Blanca. Though these two species live in the same region, they are microspacially segregated based on their different preferences in soil type. The southern tuco-tuco prefers softer soil with poor and low primary productivity. [3]
The southern tuco-tuco lives in sand dunes, building large burrow systems in areas with scarce vegetation and deep soil. [7]
Southern tuco-tucos are highly territorial and aggressive. They prefer to live solitary lives, and are suggested to be polygamous. [4]
As for dietary consideration, they are herbivorous, [8] feeding on almost all of the plant species available in the grassland area. They have been observed to prefer grasses over forbs throughout the year. [7]
The gestation period of the southern tuco-tuco is 100 days and can reproduce up to two times per year. On average, there are approximately 3 young born in a litter, though anywhere between 2 and 6 pups can be born. [5] [1]
The Southern tuco-tuco can be preyed on by owls, though this is more likely to occur in their sympatric relative, the Talas tuco-tuco due to its difference in size. [6]
The sand dune habitats are currently being destroyed for the development of urban areas, forestry, and grassland advancement. Therefore, the survival of the species is threatened, as they depend greatly on the sand dune ecosystem. [4]
A tuco-tuco is a neotropical rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. Tuco-tucos belong to the only living genus of the family Ctenomyidae, Ctenomys, but they include approximately 60 different species. The common name, "tuco-tuco", comes from the "tuc-tuc" sound they make while they dig their burrows.
Haig's tuco-tuco, known regionally as the Patagonian tuco-tuco, is a hystricognath rodent. Like other tuco-tucos it is subterranean and thus not often observed, although the "tuc-tuc" call of the males can be heard near burrow sites, especially in the early morning. Like most species in the genus Ctenomys, C. haigi are solitary, with one adult per burrow.
The collared tuco-tuco is a tuco-tuco species from South America. It is found in southern Brazil, Uruguay and northern Argentina, where it lives underground in a burrow it digs in savannah habitats. It is a relatively common species and the IUCN has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Ord's kangaroo rat is a kangaroo rat native to western North America, specifically the Great Plains and the Great Basin, with its range extending from extreme southern Canada to central Mexico.
Emily's tuco-tuco, also called Emilio's tuco-tuco, is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is endemic to Argentina. This species was named after Emilio Budin, an Argentine specimen collector who worked with Oldfield Thomas.
The tawny tuco-tuco is a species of burrowing rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is found in the desert regions of northern Chile and adjoining areas of Argentina.
The Maule tuco-tuco is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is found in Argentina and Chile, where it occupies several different types of habitats. It is a common species, and the IUCN has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern". The common and scientific names refer to a river and region in Chile within its range.
The Mendoza tuco-tuco is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae.
The highland tuco-tuco is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is found in high grassland in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru where it lives in burrows.
The social tuco-tuco is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is endemic to Argentina. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.
The Talas tuco-tuco is a species of tuco-tuco endemic to eastern Argentina.
The robust tuco-tuco is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is a burrowing rodent and is endemic to the Tucumán Province of Argentina.
The coruro is a species of rodent in the family Octodontidae. It is the only species in the genus Spalacopus. The species is endemic to central Chile, where it has been found in a wide variety of habitats, from coastal to montane. It is fossorial and lives in colonies.
The Rio Negro tuco-tuco is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is found in a small fragmented range in Entre Ríos Province in northeastern Argentina and in the Río Negro Department of western Uruguay. It is restricted to sand dunes, and is threatened by the conversion of this habitat to forestry plantations.
Berg's tuco-tuco is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae, named after the Latvian-Argentine biologist Frederico Guillermo Carlos Berg. It is endemic to northwestern Córdoba Province in central Argentina. Its habitat is grassy areas overlying sand dunes. The species is threatened by the degradation and severe fragmentation of its small habitat.
Flamarion's tuco-tuco or the tuco-tuco of the dunes is a rodent species of the family Ctenomyidae Its karyotype has 2n = 48 and FN = 50–78. It is endemic to the coastal dunes of Rio Grande do Sul state, southern Brazil. The species is threatened by habitat loss due to dune removal and urbanization. It is named after Brazilian biologist Luiz Flamarion B. de Oliveira.
The Lami tuco-tuco is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is endemic to an area in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil, where it is found in the vicinity of sand dunes. The species is threatened by urbanization and the conversion of its habitat to agricultural use. Swamp drainage has led to a zone of hybridization with a neighboring population of C. minutus.
Roig's tuco-tuco is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is endemic to a small region near the Paraná River in Corrientes Province, northeastern Argentina, where lives on sand dunes, and near rivers. Development is degrading and shrinking this habitat, threatening the rodent's survival. The species is named after Argentine zoologist Virgilio G. Roig. Its karyotype has 2n = 48 and FN = 80.
C. australis may refer to:
