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Home -> Kingdom Animalia -> Phylum Chordata -> Subphylum Vertebrata -> Class Mammalia -> Order Rodentia -> Suborder Hystricomorpha -> Family Chinchillidae -> Species Lagidium peruanum

Lagidium peruanum
northern viscacha



2008/08/03 00:23:03.270 GMT-4

By Matthew Wund

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Suborder: Hystricomorpha
Family: Chinchillidae
Genus: Lagidium
Species: Lagidium peruanum

Geographic Range

Lagidium peruanum, one of several recognized species of "Mountain Viscachas," lives in the Andes Mountains of Peru at elevations ranging from approximately 3,000-5,000 meters. This corresponds to the area contained between the timber and snow lines. L. peruanum, while often locally abundant, exhibits a scattered distribution across its range. It is not uncommon to have dense populations separated from other such populations by over 10 kilometers. There is seemingly little or no difference in habitat structure between occupied areas and the unoccupied areas between populations.

Biogeographic Regions:
neotropical (native ).

Habitat

L. peruanum live in dry, rocky, habitats between the timber line and snow line of the Andes mountains. Vegetation is relatively sparse and characterized mainly by coarse grasses. L. peruanum are often found near water that offers more succulent vegetation than drier areas within their habitat. They occupy burrows among rocks and crevices.

Terrestrial Biomes:
mountains .

Physical Description

Mass
0.90 to 1.60 kg; avg. 1.25 kg
(1.98 to 3.52 lbs; avg. 2.75 lbs)


L. peruanum, excluding their bushy tails which reach lengths of about 200-400mm, are approximately 300-450mm in length. They posess dense, soft fur on their bodies and long, coarse fur on the dorsal surface of their tails. Their pelage coloration varies from dark grey at low elevations to brown at higher elevations. The ventral portion of their fur is lighter, and can be white, yellowish, or light gray. The dorsally curled ends of their tails vary from rusty to black in color. L. peruanum have long, hair-covered ears. Females have only a single pair of mammae.

Some key physical features:
endothermic ; bilateral symmetry .

Reproduction

Number of offspring
1 (low); avg. 1

Gestation period
104 to 140 days

Birth Mass
180 g (average)
(6.34 oz)
[External Source: AnAge]


Time to weaning
30 days (low)

Age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
365 days (average)
[External Source: AnAge]


Age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
365 days (average)
[External Source: AnAge]


Individuals reach sexual maturity after one year. The mating period ranges from October to December, in which all adult females become pregnant. Gestation lasts approximately 140 days and one offspring is produced. While females may undergo a post-partum estrus, it is unlikely that a second pregnancy in a given year will result given the length of the gestation period and the timing of the mating season. The offspring are precocious, and feed on a mixture of their mother's milk and vegetation. While females posess two ovaries and two uterine horns, only the right ovary and uterine horn are functional. If the right ovary is surgically removed, the left then becomes functional.

Key reproductive features:
gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual .

Behavior

L. peruanum live in large colonies of up to 80 individuals. These colonies are segregated into small family units of 2 to 5 individuals which occupy a single burrow. These animals are poor diggers, so their burrows consist of crevices among cliffs and rocks. They are not territorial and rarely aggressive. When the breeding season begins males are driven out of their family burrow by the female, at which point they disperse throughout the colony and exhibit some degree of promiscuity. Much of the day is spent basking and preening on exposed rocks. Feeding begins in the afternoon and lasts until after sunset, at which time individuals return to their burrows. L. peruanum are quick and agile, able to get from rock to rock with either short hops or leaps of over 2 meters, if alarmed. When alarmed they produce a high-pitched call to warn the colony of a potential threat. L. peruanum rarely stray more than 70 meters from shelter.

Key behaviors:
motile ; social .

Food Habits

L. peruanum eat most of the sparse vegetable material they find in their habitats. This includes tough grasses, lichens, and moss. They feed primarily from late afternoon until after the sun sets.

Primary Diet:
herbivore (folivore ).

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

None.

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

L. peruanum are used as a source of meat and fur, however their pelts are not in particularly high demand.

Ways that people benefit from these animals:
food .

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List: [link]:
Lower Risk - Least Concern.

US Federal List: [link]:
No special status.

CITES: [link]:
No special status.

While their numbers have declined in some areas, L. peruanum, perhaps because they are the smallest of the Mountain Viscachas, are not particularly sought after for their fur or as a source of meat.

Contributors

Matthew Wund (author), University of Michigan.
Phil Myers (editor), Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan.

References

Matthews, H. 1971. The Life of Mammals. New York: Universe Books.

Nowak, R. 1991. Walker's Mammals of the World. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Pearson, O. 1948. Life history of mountain viscachas in Peru. Journal of Mammology, 29: 345-374.

2008/08/03 00:23:06.286 GMT-4

To cite this page: Wund, M. 2000. "Lagidium peruanum" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed August 30, 2008 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Lagidium_peruanum.html.

Disclaimer: The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students. ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control.

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