Chinchilla rats ( lat. Abrocomidae ) - a family of South American mammals of the rodent order. Due to the inaccessible residence, these rodents are practically unexplored.
Chinchilla rats | ||||||||||
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Bennett Chinchilla Rat | ||||||||||
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| Abrocomidae ( Miller & Gidley , 1918 ) |
General Description
Chinchilla rats live in the Andes - from Peru to Chile , meeting on rocky slopes up to 5,000 m above sea level. The lifestyle is poorly understood.
The body length of chinchilla rats is 15-25 cm; outwardly, they really resemble rats with pointed elongated muzzles, large eyes and ears. The limbs are low. The front paws are with 4 fingers, the hind legs are with 5. On the fingers of the hind legs there are “brushes” of long hard hair, similar to those of the eight- toed , chinchilla and crest mouse . Claws are dull, weak. Tail shorter than body, well pubescent. The fur is brownish-grayish, long, thick and soft - hence the name chinchilla rats. Teeth 30.
Recent molecular studies (2001) have shown that chinchilla rats are probably closer to degus , nutria, and tuco-tuco than chinchillas .
Classification
The family includes 3 genera.
- Genus Chinchilla rats ( Abrocoma )
- Bennett Chinchilla Rat ( Abrocoma bennettii )
- Bolivian chinchilla rat ( Abrocoma boliviensis )
- Abrocoma budini
- Abrocoma famatina
- Ash chinchilla rat ( Abrocoma cinerea ), or gray chinchilla rat [1]
- Abrocoma schistacea
- Peruvian chinchilla rat ( Abrocoma uspallata )
- Abrocoma vaccarum
- Genus Cuscomys
- Peruvian Chinchilla Rat ( Cuscomys ashaninka )
- † Cuscomys oblativus
- † Genus Protabrocoma
- † Protabrocoma antigua
Chinchilla rats are rare animals, although they do not belong to protected species. Sometimes they are hunted for skins, although they are fragile and of little value.
Notes
- ↑ Sokolov V.E. The pagan dictionary of animal names. Mammals Latin, Russian, English, German, French. / edited by Acad. V. E. Sokolova. - M .: Rus. lang., 1984. - S. 200. - 10,000 copies.