The tawny tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys fulvus'') is a species of burrowing

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 n ...

in the family

Ctenomyidae 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 ...

. It is found in the desert regions of northern

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 ...

and adjoining areas of

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 tawny tuco-tuco grows to a length of , and the subspecies ''C. f. robustus'' may grow even bigger. The forehead and the margins of the mouth are dark brown, otherwise the head and back are greyish brown and the flanks are rather paler brown. The underparts are a cinnamon-buff colour and the tail is brownish black, ending in a pale tuft of hairs. The upper surfaces of the feet are buffish white with some dark markings. The karyotype of both subspecies is 2n=26.

Distribution and habitat

This species is native to Argentina and Chile. There are two separate populations; the nominate subspecies ''C. f. robustus'' occurs in the

Antofagasta Region The Antofagasta Region ( es, Región de Antofagasta, ) is one of Chile's sixteen first-order administrative divisions. The second-largest region of Chile in area, it comprises three provinces, Antofagasta, El Loa and Tocopilla. It is bordered t ...

of Chile and adjoining parts of northwestern Argentina; the other subspecies ''C. f. fulvus'' occurs only in the Oasis de Pica in the

Tarapacá Region The Tarapacá Region ( es, Región de Tarapacá, ) is one of Chile's 16 first-order administrative divisions. It comprises two provinces, Iquique and Tamarugal. It borders the Chilean Arica and Parinacota Region to the north, Bolivia's Orur ...

of northern Chile. Four degrees of latitude separate these two areas. This tuco-tuco typically lives in flat areas of desert with sandy soils, creosote bushes (''Larrea'' sp.), and scrub. It also inhabits ribbons of trees growing alongside dry watercourses and creeks.

Ecology

Burrows in which to live are dug at least deep. The external temperature in these very dry regions can vary between but in the depths of the burrow the temperature normally remains within the range . These rodents are mainly active in the early morning, especially in the dry season. Their diet includes ''Larrea'' leaves and roots. The animals derive most of their water requirements from their food, and the stable temperature in their burrows protects them from the lethal effects of overheating.

Status

The population of ''C. fulvus'' has not been quantified but the animal has a wide range and is presumed to have a large total population. The

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of nat ...

has rated it as being of "

least concern A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...

" on the basis that, if its population trend is downward, then the population is not declining at such a rate as would justify putting it in a more threatened category.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q665866 Tuco-tucos Mammals of the Andes Mammals of Argentina Mammals of Chile Mammals described in 1860 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot