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Overview
Distribution
Range Description
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Geographic Range
Chinchilla rats, Ambrocoma cinerea are restricted to the Altiplano of the Andes of South America, from Southern Bolivia and Peru into Central Chile. (Myers, 1999)
Biogeographic Regions: neotropical (Native )
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Physical Description
Morphology
Physical Description
Chinchilla rats range from 15 to 25 cm long, not including the tail, which can be from 6 to 18 cm long. They weigh 200 to 300 g. Chinchilla rats have large, round ears and large eyes, the head is elongate. Limbs are short with 4 digits on the forefoot and 5 on the hindfoot. The fur is thick and soft,silver-gray in color above and white or yellow underneath. The fur is similar in texture to a chinchilla's, though less desirable in the fur trade. (Encarta, 2000; Nowak, 1991)
Range mass: 0.200 to 0.300 kg.
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Ecology
Habitat
Habitat and Ecology
Systems
- Terrestrial
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Habitat
Chinchilla rats are restricted to the Altiplano region of the Andes, they occur in rocky areas between 3700 and 5000 meters. Burrows can commonly be found under rocks or at the bases of shrubs. (Encarta, 2000; Nowak, 1991).
Terrestrial Biomes: mountains
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Trophic Strategy
Food Habits
Chinchilla rats are herbivorous and nocturnal. The diet includes seeds, fruits, and nuts. Though primarily terrestrial, they are capable of climbing as well. (Encarta, 2000; Encyclopedia Britannica Online, 2000)
Primary Diet: herbivore (Granivore )
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Life History and Behavior
Reproduction
Reproduction
Very little is known about reproduction in Abrocoma cinerea. The length of gestation ranges from 115 to 118 days with 1-2 young per litter. (Grzimeck, 1975; Nowak, 1991)
Range number of offspring: 1 to 3.
Average number of offspring: 2.2.
Average gestation period: 102 days.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); fertilization (Internal ); viviparous
Parental Investment: precocial
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Conservation
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List Assessment
Red List Category
Red List Criteria
Version
Year Assessed
Assessor/s
Reviewer/s
Contributor/s
Justification
History
- 1996Lower Risk/least concern
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Conservation Status
Chinchilla rats are somtimes hunted for pelts. There is no true commercial value but they are sometimes sold to travelers as true Chinchilla. For this reason, and because of habitat destruction, they have become rare. (Nowak, 1991).
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
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Trends
Population
Population Trend
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Threats
Threats
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Management
Conservation Actions
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Relevance to Humans and Ecosystems
Benefits
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
There is no great economic importance to humans. Skins of chinchilla rats are sometimes sold at fur markets but are not of much value (Nowak, 1991).
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Wikipedia
Ashy Chinchilla Rat
The Ashy Chinchilla Rat (Abrocoma cinerea) is a species of chinchilla rat in the family Abrocomidae. They are found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru.
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Description
The total length is 21–43 cm, the body being 15-25, and the tail being 6-8. They have soft, thick silver fur on the top of their bodies, and white or yellow fur on their stomach. They have four toes on their front feet, and five toes on their back feet.
Behavior and Diet
They are herbivores, so they eat seeds fruit and nuts. They make squeaking and grunting noises when they are scared or fighting.[2]
Hunting
They are hunted for their fur, which is sold in markets, sometimes to tourists.
References
- ^ Dunnum, J., Bernal, N., Vivar, E., Jayat, J. & Ojeda, R. (2008). Abrocoma cinerea. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 5 January 2009.
- ^ http://animals.jrank.org/pages/3485/Chinchilla-Rats-Abrocomidae-ASHY-CHINCHILLA-RAT-Abrocoma-cinerea-SPECIES-ACCOUNT.html
- Woods, C. A. and C. W. Kilpatrick. 2005. Hystricognathi. pp 1538–1600 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference 3rd ed. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C.
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