The Patagonian chinchilla mouse (''Euneomys chinchilloides'') is a species of

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 Cricetidae. It was first described by George Robert Waterhouse in 1839. It is found in

Tierra del Fuego Tierra del Fuego (, ; Spanish for "Land of the Fire", rarely also Fireland in English) is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of the main island, Isla G ...

and neighboring areas of southernmost

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

and

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 ...

Taxonomy

''Euneomys chinchilloides'' is the current name for the Patagonian chinchilla mouse.

Distribution and habitat

''Euneomys chinchilloides'' can be found in the Tierra del Fuego, and are generally widespread in mainland Patagonia. They are also fairly abundant in the Sierras de Tecka, a region situated 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 ...

mountains. Their habitat consists of scree that is windswept and bare.

Life history

Morphology

The genus ''Euneomys'' are described as having medium to large body size. They have short tails and dense fur. Their molars are hypsodont. Measurements of the body length, including the head, of ''Euneomys chinchilloides'' ranges from 103–143 mm. Tail length ranges from 62–90 mm. Hindfoot length ranges from 25–30 mm. The length of the ear ranges from 18.5-22.2 mm.

Ecology

The genus ''Euneomys'' are herbivorous and nocturnal.

Genetics

''Euneomys chinchilloides'' have 34 chromosomes, although some specimens exhibited an extra pair of chromosomes.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q306408 Euneomys Mammals of Patagonia Mammals of Argentina Mammals of Chile Mammals described in 1839 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by George Robert Waterhouse