The coruro (''Spalacopus cyanus'') is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...

in the family

Octodontidae 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''. Octodontids are medium-sized ...

. It is the only species in the genus ''Spalacopus''. The species is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to central

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

, where it has been found in a wide variety of habitats, from coastal to montane. It is

fossorial A fossorial () animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily, but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, meerkats, and mole salamanders, as well as many beetles, wasps, and bees. Prehistoric eviden ...

and lives in colonies.

Description

Coruros are robust rodents with large heads, short necks and stocky bodies. The fur is short and dark brown, turning blackish on the feet. Their eyes and ears are small and their tails are short and smooth. They are strongly modified for life underground. They have large incisors that curve forward and which are used to loosen soil and gnaw through roots, strong forelimbs for digging and powerful hind limbs for moving soil and kicking it out of the entrance to the burrow. They weigh between . Their molars have reentrant folds that do not meet in the middle. Their tails are scaly and hairless. They can be either black or dark brown.

Distribution and habitat

Coruros occur along the coast from Alicahue (32°19'S) to Los Cipreses (34°01'S), and in the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

up to 3500 m altitude from Alicahue (32°19'S) to Los Cipreses (34°01'S). It inhabits a range of habitats including alpine grasslands in the mountains, acacia savannah in the

Chilean Central Valley The Central Valley ( es, Valle Central), Intermediate Depression, or Longitudinal Valley is the depression between the Chilean Coastal Range and the Andes Mountains. The Chilean Central Valley extends from the border with Peru to Puerto Montt in s ...

, semi-stabilized sand dunes and coastal grassland.

Ecology

Coruros are colonial rodents, a number of individuals occupying a single burrow system. They are also unusual amongst rodents in that they are nomadic; when their food is becoming exhausted in one locality, they move as a group to another locality and create a new burrow. They live in smaller colonies that broke up from a large population. They leave behind bulbs in order for them to grow, thus allowing them to return to the area for vegetation.It is a vocal species, emitting a range of distinctive calls. They tend to feed on Huilli or other vegetaion. They have predators such as hawks,owls,and wild cats. They have a certain reproduction time from June to March. They can produce up to six offspring.Their gestation period last about 77 days. The offsprings eyes open about four days after birth. They are not currently endangered. Coruros feed entirely underground on grasses, herbs, roots and bulbs of geophytes such as ''

Leucocoryne ixioides ''Leucocoryne'' (glory-of-the-sun) is a genus of bulbous perennials in the family Amaryllidaceae. The foliage of all species is long and narrow and has an onion-like scent. The blue, white or lilac flowers are held in umbels. The entire genus i ...

'' (which forms the bulk of its diet), '' Dioscorea longipes'', or species of ''

Libertia ''Libertia'' is a genus of monocotyledonous plants in the family Iridaceae, first described as a genus in 1824.

'', ''

Sisyrinchium ''Sisyrinchium'' is a large genus of annual to perennial flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. Native to the New World, the species are known as blue-eyed grasses and, though not true grasses and in varieties with flower colors other than blu ...

'' or '' Alophia''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1135691 Octodontidae Mammals of Chile Mammals described in 1782 Taxa named by Juan Ignacio Molina Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Endemic fauna of Chile