''Abrocoma'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of abrocomid

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 ...

s found in the

Andes The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

, from southern

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

to central

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

. The genus contains eight

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

, most of which are found in isolated mountain ranges in northwestern

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

. The oldest fossil record for the Caviomorpha appears at the late

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

-Early

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch (geology), epoch of the Paleogene Geologic time scale, Period that extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that defin ...

transition (37.5–31.5 mybp). The Abrocoma has an interesting body structure for example within its own head it has a sac that contains a liquid that is not named by Janet K. Braun and Michael A. Mares(894). They also have feet that are padded which helped to completely say with certainty that it is a rock dweller but also a rock climber.(896).

Species

*Genus ''Abrocoma'' **''A. bennettii'' -

Bennett's chinchilla rat Bennett's chinchilla rat (''Abrocoma bennettii'') is a species of chinchilla rat in the family Abrocomidae. It is found only in Chile where its habitat is Mediterranean-type scrub on the western side of the Andes. The IUCN has assessed its conse ...

**''A. boliviensis'' -

Bolivian chinchilla rat The Bolivian chinchilla rat (''Abrocoma boliviensis'') is a species of chinchilla rat in the family Abrocomidae. It is found only in Manuel María Caballero Province, Bolivia. Its natural habitat is the rocky areas of cloud forests in Bolivia's ...

**''A. budini'' -

Budin's chinchilla rat Budin's chinchilla rat (''Abrocoma budini'') is a species of chinchilla rat in the family Abrocomidae. Found only in Argentina, the categorization of this species was based on analysis of four specimens which were caught among the rocks in the ...

**''A. cinerea'' -

ashy chinchilla rat The ashy chinchilla rat (''Abrocoma cinerea'') is a species of chinchilla rats in the family Abrocomidae found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Description Their total length is , with the body being and the tail being . They have soft, ...

**''A. famatina'' -

Famatina chinchilla rat The Famatina chinchilla rat (''Abrocoma famatina'') is a species of chinchilla rats in the family Abrocomidae found only in Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It c ...

**''A. shistacea'' -

Sierra del Tontal chinchilla rat The Sierra del Tontal chinchilla rat (''Abrocoma shistacea'') is a species of chinchilla rat. Found only in Argentina, this species was once thought to be part of '' Abrocoma cinerea''. In 2002, Braun and Mares from the University of Oklahoma con ...

**''A. uspallata'' -

Uspallata chinchilla rat The Uspallata chinchilla rat (''Abrocoma uspallata'') is a species of chinchilla rat in the family Abrocomidae native to Argentina. This species was identified in 2002, by Braun and Mares from the University of Oklahoma. Only a single specimen h ...

**''A. vaccarum'' -

Punta de Vacas chinchilla rat The Punta de Vacas chinchilla rat (''Abrocoma vaccarum''), also known as the Mendozan chinchilla rat, is a species of chinchilla rat Chinchilla rats or ''chinchillones'' are rodents of the family Abrocomidae. This family has few members compa ...

or Mendozan chinchilla rat Additionally, the species ''

Cuscomys oblativus The Machu Picchu arboreal chinchilla rat (''Cuscomys oblativus'') is a large species of South American chinchilla rats, known from skeletal remains found by members of the Peruvian Expedition of 1912. The animals were buried alongside people in a ...

'' was formerly classified as ''A. oblativus'', but has been reassigned.http://darrennaish.blogspot.com/2006/03/giant-furry-pets-of-incas.html Giant Furry Pets Of The Incas

Species

References

Further reading