The Chilean rock rat (Aconaemys fuscus ) is a species of rodent in the family Octodontidae. It is found in the high Andes of Argentina and Chile.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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GranivoreSeed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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LignivoreZo
ZoochoryZoochory animals are those that can disperse plant seeds in several ways. Seeds can be transported on the outside of vertebrate animals (mostly mam...
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FossorialA fossorial animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, ...
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NomadicNomadic animals regularly move to and from the same areas within a well-defined range. Most animals travel in groups in search of better territorie...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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Cooperative breederCooperative breeding is a social system where offspring receive care not only from their parents but also from additional group members, often call...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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PolygamyPolygamy is the practice of breeding with multiple partners. When a male breeds with more than one female at the same time – it is called polygyny....
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ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Chilean rock rat is a short-tailed rodent. Rock rats in the genus Aconaemys are similar to those in the genus Ctenomys but not so specialised for life underground. The ears are rather larger, the claws on the front feet which are used for digging are smaller, and the edging of hairs on the hind feet, used for shifting loose soil, is reduced in size.
The upper parts of the Chilean rock rat are dark brown, with the underparts ranging from reddish brown to white. Sample specimens described in 1966 and 1984, from two different locations, had a head-and-body length ranging from 135 mm (5 in) to 187 mm (7 in), with the tail adding another 58 mm (2 in) – 80 mm (3 in) to the animal's total length.
Its karyotype has 2n = 56 and FN = 108.
This species is endemic to parts of Argentina and Chile in the high Andes in South America. Its range extends from about 33°S to 41°S. In Argentina, it is restricted to thick forests of bamboo and Nothofagus dombeyi, but in Chile it is found in monkey puzzle (Araucaria ) and southern beech (Nothofagus ) forests, and above the tree line, usually among tussocky grass. It occurs up to about 4,000 metres (13,100 ft).
The Chilean rock rat is a semi-fossorial species and constructs a network of shallow tunnels and runways with entrances every metre or so. These burrows resemble those of Spalacopus and Ctenomys and are sometimes also used by Akodon longipilis and Geoxus valdivianus. It seems to be a colonial species and feeds on roots and seeds, apparently specialising on the roots and seeds of Araucaria in Chile. It is mainly active by night but sometimes also by day. It stores food for use in winter when it is active, moving about under the snow.
A. fuscus has a wide range and seems to be plentiful. No particular threats have been identified and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...