Wolffsohn's viscacha (''Lagidium wolffsohni''), pronounced "wolf-sewns vi-skah-chuh", and locally known as chinchillón anaranjado, is a rare species of

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

in the family

Chinchillidae The family Chinchillidae is in the order Rodentia and consists of the chinchillas, the viscachas, and their fossil relatives. This family is restricted to southern and western South America, mostly living in mountainous regions of the Andes, ex ...

. This species occurs in southwestern Argentina and adjacent Chile. It occurs up to about above sea level. It is found in rocky outcrops in mountainous areas.

Etymology

Wolffsohn's viscacha was initially intended to be named after the president of Wolffsohn's company. However,

Oldfield Thomas Michael Rogers Oldfield Thomas (21 February 1858 – 16 June 1929) was a British zoologist. Career Thomas worked at the Natural History Museum, London, Natural History Museum on mammals, describing about 2,000 new species and subspecies for ...

, on behalf of the British Museum, named it ''Wolffsohni'' in recognition of Wolffsohn's contributions to the study of the species.Oldfield Thomas (1907) On a remarkable mountain Viscacha from southern Patagonia, with diagnoses of other members of the group, Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 19:113, 439-444. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222930708562665

Description

Wolffsohn's viscacha features a relatively large body, measuring approximately 470 mm from head to body, with the tail extending up to 305 mm. The coat is characterized by a wool-like texture, with hair lengths varying between 35 and 50 mm. Notably, the tail hairs can exceed a length of 150 mm. It is easily identifiable by its orange-clay coloration, short black ears, and distinctly bushy tail.

Diet

Wolffsohn's viscacha is a specialist herbivore that primarily consumes grasses when available. Grasses, including '' Festuca pallescens'', as well as genera '' Pappostipa'' and ''

Poa ''Poa'' is a genus of about 570 species of Poaceae, grasses, native to the temperate regions of both hemispheres. Common names include meadow-grass (mainly in Europe and Asia), bluegrass (mainly in North America), tussock (some New Zealand spe ...

'', comprise 60.4% of its diet. The fruit of '' Berberis heterophylla'' comprises 21% of its diet.

References

External links

*http://eol.org/pages/326929/details Chinchillidae Mammals of Patagonia Mammals of Argentina Mammals of Chile Mammals described in 1907 Taxa named by Oldfield Thomas Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{rodent-stub