About Microcavia australis (I.Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire & d'Orbigny, 1833)
Common and Scientific Name
Southern mountain cavies, with the scientific name Microcavia australis, are tailless rodents.
Fur Characteristics
They have short, speckled greyish-yellow fur that fades to pale grey on their underparts.
Size and Weight
Adult southern mountain cavies reach a total length of around 20 cm (7.9 in) and weigh between 200 and 326 g (7.1 and 11.5 oz).
Head Features
They have large eyes surrounded by a prominent white ring, and small rounded ears.
Female Reproductive Anatomy
Females of this species have four teats.
Overall Distribution Range
Southern mountain cavies are mostly restricted to Argentina, but may also occur in some neighboring areas of Chile and Bolivia.
Habitat Preferences
They are found across almost all of western and southern Argentina, where they live in arid and semiarid lowlands, often near rivers or in areas dominated by thorn bushes.
Recognized Subspecies
Three subspecies of Microcavia australis are currently recognized: M. a. australis, which ranges from central western to southern Argentina, from San Juan to Santa Cruz, and parts of southeastern Chile; M. a. maenas, which is found in northwest Argentina, from Jujuy to La Rioja, and extreme southern Bolivia; and M. a. salinia, which occurs in western Argentina, from Catamarca and Santiago del Estero to Córdoba.
