The mountain degu (''Octodontomys gliroides'') 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 n ...

in the family Octodontidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Octodontomys''. It is found in the foothills of 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 ...

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 List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

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 eas ...

Description

The mountain degu is a moderate sized rodent with a length of , including a tail of , and a bodyweight in the range . The hairs are long and silky. The upper surface is greyish-brown, the chin is pure white, and the underparts are white with a grey base to the hairs. There is a tuft of white hair in front of the large ears, which are clad in short grey hair. The slender tail is bi-coloured (dark above and pale below) and has a tuft of brown or ochre hairs at the tip. Juveniles have darker fur above and greyer underparts. Their tails are brownish with a dark brown or black tufted tip.

Distribution and habitat

This species is found in the mountainous areas of southwestern Bolivia, northwestern Argentina and northern Chile. It has a wide altitudinal range, occurring at in

Jujuy Province Jujuy is a province of Argentina, located in the extreme northwest of the country, at the borders with Chile and Bolivia. The only neighboring Argentine province is Salta to the east and south. Geography There are three main areas in Jujuy: * ...

in Argentina, and at in

Potosí Department Potosí (; Aymara: ''Putusi''; qu, P'utuqsi) is a department in southwestern Bolivia. It comprises 118,218 km2 with 823,517 inhabitants (2012 census). The capital is the city of Potosí. It is mostly a barren, mountainous region with on ...

in Bolivia. The only species of octodontid found in the higher parts of its range, it inhabits dry rocky areas with tall cacti, shrubs and herbs.

Behaviour

The mountain degu is a mainly diurnal,

herbivorous A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpar ...

rodent. It does not have any special adaptations of skull or limbs for tunnelling but digs short burrows as well as living under rocks and in caves. Its tail can be autotomised and when climbing, it can be used as a prop. It is a sociable animal and communicates by means of a range of low, medium and high-pitched gurgles, twitters and squeaks. It feeds on the leaves and bark of shrubs, and on ''Acacia'' sheaths in the winter and on cactus fruits in the summer. It can obtain sufficient moisture from its food, particularly cactus, to satisfy its water requirements. Little is known of the breeding habits of the mountain degu, but young in various stages of development have been found in November, and pregnant females and young in both January and May. A

gestation period In mammals, pregnancy is the period of reproduction during which a female carries one or more live offspring from implantation in the uterus through gestation. It begins when a fertilized zygote implants in the female's uterus, and ends once ...

of around 105 days has been reported with a litter size of one to three pups. The pups are

precocial In biology, altricial species are those in which the young are underdeveloped at the time of birth, but with the aid of their parents mature after birth. Precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the mome ...

when born, already having their eyes open and being well-furred.

Status

''O. gliroides'' is listed 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. ...

" by 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 natu ...

because of its wide distribution, its presumed large population, its occurrence in some protected areas and apparent tolerance of some degree of habitat modification.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q615863 Mammals described in 1844 Mammals of Argentina Mammals of Bolivia Mammals of Chile Mammals of the Andes Octodontidae Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by Paul Gervais Taxa named by Alcide d'Orbigny