The Talas tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys talarum'') is a species of

tuco-tuco A tuco-tuco is a neotropical rodent in the family Ctenomyidae.Parada, A., G. D’Elia, C.J. Bidau, and E.P. Lessa. 2011. Species Groups and the Evolutionary Diversification of Tuco-Tucos, genus ''Ctenomys'' (Rodentia: Ctenomyidae). ''Journal of M ...

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 eastern

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 ...

Description

The Talas tuco-tuco is a large rodent ranging in size from , more than twice the size of a house mouse. Its tail length varies from and it weighs approximately . The species shows significant

sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

. The Talas tuco-tuco basically has a cylindrically-shaped body, but is larger around the head and shoulders. It has short fine hair, which is normally a mix of hazel, gray and red on the back, and white on the underparts. It also has a distinct white patch on either side of the head, along the lower edge of its ears. Its eyes and ears are small compared to its headband it has very long, curved claws on all four feet.

Distribution and habitat

The Talas tuco-tuco is subterranean, living in burrows. Only one inhabits a particular burrow at a time; however, some build extensive burrowing systems connecting individual burrows with tunnels. They prefer areas with loamy soil, grass, perennials plants and woody shrubs. In some cases, they can be found in sandy soils as well. They are usually found along the coasts of the Buenos Aires, La Pampa and Santa Fe provinces.Redford, K. H. and Eisenberg, J. F. (1992). ''Mammals of the Neotropics. The southern cone.'' University Chicago Press, Illinois.

Biology

Talas tuco-tucos are herbivorous, feeding on roots and grasses. Unlike most subterranean rodents, Talas tuco-tucos leave their burrows to forage for vegetation above ground.Martino, N., Zenuto, R. R. and Busch, C. (1999). "Respuestas nutricionales a corto plazo en ''Ctenomys talarum''". Libro de resúmenes de las XIV Jornadas Argentinas de Mastozoología o volume number 70. Males can be sexually active throughout the year, but females have a much more restrictive breeding season, so that most pregnancies occur around August. An average litter consists of four offspring, with a slight about 1.63 females being born per male. The lactation period is estimated at about 45 days. In a study, one male was found to have copulated with all the females in the area.Zenuto, R. R., Vasallo, A. I. and Busch, C. (1996). "Comportamieto social y reproductivo de ''Ctenomys talarum'' en cautiverio". Libro de resúmenes de las XI Jornadas Argentinas de Mastozoología o volume number9–10. Predators include the

burrowing owl The burrowing owl (''Athene cunicularia''), also called the shoco, is a small, long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or an ...

short-eared owl The short-eared owl (''Asio flammeus'') is a widespread grassland species in the family Strigidae. Owls belonging to genus ''Asio'' are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or ...

barn owl The barn owl (''Tyto alba'') is the most widely distributed species of owl in the world and one of the most widespread of all species of birds, being found almost everywhere except for the polar and desert regions, Asia north of the Himalaya ...

, and

variable hawk The variable hawk (''Geranoaetus polyosoma'') is a polymorphic species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is widespread and often common in open habitats in western and southern South America, including the Falkland Islands. Its ta ...

.Bó, M. S., Rodriguez, S., Bachmann, S., Vargas, R. J. and Darrieu, C. A. (2000). "Importancia de los mamíferos en la dieta invernal del aguilucho común Buteo polyosoma en Mar Chiquita (Provincia de Buenos Aires)". Libro de resúmenes de las XV Jornadas Argentinas de Mastozoología o volume number38. Lice that feed on the species include '' Eulinognathus americanus'', '' Gyropus parvus'', and '' Phtheropoios forficulatus''.Contreras, J. R., Castro, D. C. and Cichino, A. C. (1992). "Acerca de las relaciones de los parásitos Phthiraptera (Amblycera, Gyropidae) de los roedores excavadores del género ''Ctenomys'' (Rodentia, Ctenomyidae) con la evolución taxonómica de los huéspedes". Libro de resúmenes de las VI Jornadas de Ciencias Naturales del Litoral o volume number 90–92. Trichostrongylids can be found in the small intestine, and trichurids in the

caecum The cecum or caecum is a pouch within the peritoneum that is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine. It is typically located on the right side of the body (the same side of the body as the appendix, to which it is joined). The w ...

of the Talas tuco-tuco.Rossin, M. A., Malizia, A. I. and Sardella, N. (1999). "Estudio de la fauna endoparasitaria de ''Ctenomys talarum'' (Rodentia: Octodontidae) de la localidad de Necochea". Libro de resúmenes de las XIV Jornadas Argentinas de Mastozoología o volume number 79.

Behavior

The Talas tuco-tuco is solitary, aggressive and territorial. They use scent recognition to distinguish between individuals.Fanjul, M. S., Zenuto, R. R. and Busch, C. (2000). "Discriminación olfativa a nivel de individuo en el roedor subterráneo ''Ctenomys talarum'' Rodentia: Octodontidae)". Libro de resúmenes de las XV Jornadas Argentinas de Mastozoología o volume number 55. Males engage in one on one confrontations with other males for prospective mates, using their sharp incisors as weapons. These can also be used as digging tools, but they prefer to use their claws when building their burrows. Although they are subterranean, they spend much of their time above the ground, foraging for food.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q305759 Tuco-tucos Mammals of Argentina Endemic fauna of Argentina Mammals described in 1898 Taxa named by Oldfield Thomas Taxonomy articles created by Polbot