A tuco-tuco is a neotropical rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. Tuco-tucos belong to the only living

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 the family Ctenomyidae, ''Ctenomys'', but they include approximately 60 different species. The common name, "tuco-tuco", comes from the "tuc-tuc" sound they make while they dig their burrows."Southern Tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys australis'')"
ARKive. 4 October 2013. The relationships among the species are debated by

taxonomist In biology, taxonomy () is the science, scientific study of naming, defining (Circumscription (taxonomy), circumscribing) and classifying groups of biological organisms based on shared characteristics. Organisms are grouped into taxon, taxa (si ...

s. It has been described that they are in a state of "taxonomic chaos", but banded karyotypes have been used to help make progress on their taxonomic study. Their closest relatives are degus and other octodontids. All species of tuco-tucos are found in

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 Peru and central Brazil southward. The tuco-tucos of South America have an ecological role equivalent to that of the

pocket gopher Pocket gophers, commonly referred to simply as gophers, are burrowing rodents of the family Geomyidae. The roughly 41 speciesSearch results for "Geomyidae" on thASM Mammal Diversity Database are all endemic to North and Central America. They ar ...

s of

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

. They occupy an ecological niche previously taken by

gondwanathere Gondwanatheria is an extinct group of mammaliaforms that lived in parts of Gondwana, including Madagascar, India, South America, Africa, and Antarctica during the Upper Cretaceous through the Miocene (and possibly much earlier, if '' Allostaffia' ...

s such as ''

Patagonia Patagonia () is a geographical region that includes parts of Argentina and Chile at the southern end of South America. The region includes the southern section of the Andes mountain chain with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers ...

'' earlier in the

Cenozoic The Cenozoic Era ( ; ) is Earth's current geological era, representing the last 66million years of Earth's history. It is characterized by the dominance of mammals, insects, birds and angiosperms (flowering plants). It is the latest of three g ...

Anatomy

Tuco-tucos have heavily built cylindrical bodies with short legs and their pelage ranges in color from black to light grey. Their skin is loosely applied, possibly to slide about the tunnels they create. They have long fore feet for burrowing, and bristled hind feet for grooming. They also have large heads, small ears, and hairy tails. Their bodies range in size from in length, and they can weigh as little as 100 grams ( ''C. pundti'') to more than 1000 grams ( ''C. conover'').

Distribution

Members of the genus ''Ctenomys'' are widely distributed, but over 50 of the species are found in the southern half of South America. They can be seen in many areas from the southern portion of Peru and southern Brazil to the Tierra del Fuego at the southernmost tip of South America, through parts of Chile and a majority of Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Argentina. Their ranges occur from coastal grasslands to mountain slopes, including the Andean Puna at over 4000 meters, and depend on factors such as soil type, ambient temperature, and

primary productivity Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Works * ...

. The only sympatric distribution of this genus occurs between ''C. australis'' and ''C. talarum'' in a coastal dune region.

Habitat

Tuco-tucos live in excavated burrows and spend a majority (up to 90%) of their lives underground. It is estimated that they represent about 45% of all the underground rodents of the world. Their burrows maintain a fairly constant temperature and humidity level that is independent of the geographic region. In order to excavate the soil, they have many morphological adaptations, including their body shape, reduced eyes, and strong limbs. Their olfaction is increased and is used to help orient themselves during digging and establishing a territory. The two techniques they use for digging are scratch-digging and skull-tooth digging. A combination of the two methods are often used. Their claws and forelimbs are used primarily for scratch-digging, and their skull and incisor teeth are used secondarily for skull-tooth digging.

Behavior

Tuco-tucos are diurnal and alternate periods of activity and periods of rest throughout the day.

Food

They primarily search for food by digging passageways. Due to the high energy cost of foraging for food, their diet is rather broad.

Courtship

Very little is known about the courtship of the tuco-tucos, as it takes place underground inside their burrows. It is known that the male takes an aggressive posture and exchanges chemical or acoustic signals with the female.

Diversity

Among their most notable features is that various members of the genus exhibit differing levels of genetic variability and sociality. Most of these species are solitary animals; however, some are semisocial or social, with a tendency for the most social species (e.g. ''C. sociabilis'') to have the least genetic variation. While the processes behind its diversification are unknown, it has been suggested that they are among the most diversely speciated genus of mammals, largely due to chromosomal rearrangements and rapid speciation since their appearance in the late Pliocene or early Pleistocene era. Their chromosomal diversity is so impressive because their diploid numbers range from 10 to 70.

Human impact

The species in this genus are at risk of predation by humans because they are viewed as agricultural pests.

Indigenous people

Prior to the European settlement the tuco-tuco was an important food resource in

Tierra del Fuego Tierra del Fuego (, ; Spanish for "Land of Fire", rarely also Fireland in English) is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South America, South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of the main is ...

for the

Fuegian Fuegians are the indigenous inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego, at the southern tip of South America. The name has been credited to Captain James Weddell, who supposedly created the term in 1822. The indigenous Fuegians belonged to several differ ...

s in particular.

Species

Anderson's cujuchi ''Ctenomys andersoni'', also called Anderson's cujuchi, is a species of tuco-tuco native to Bolivia. Found only in Cerro Itahuaticua, Department of Santa Cruz, at an elevation of around , the species measures in length and has coarse brown and ...

(''C. andersoni'')Gardner, S.L., J. Salazar-Bravo, and J.A. Cook. (2014
New Species of ''Ctenomys'' Blainville 1826 (Rodentia: Ctenomyidae) from the Lowlands and Central Valleys of Bolivia
''Special Publications'' / Museum of Texas Tech University (June 17, 2014), number 62. :

Argentine tuco-tuco The Argentine tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys argentinus'') is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is endemic to Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an ...

(''C. argentinus'') :

Southern tuco-tuco The southern tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys australis'') is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae.Woods, C. A. and Kilpatrick, C. W. (2005). "Infraorder Hystricognathi", pp. 1538–1600 in: Wilson, D. E. and D. M. Reeder''Mammal Species of the Wor ...

(''C. australis'') :

Berg's tuco-tuco Berg's tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys bergi'') is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae, named after the Latvian-Argentine biologist Frederico Guillermo Carlos Berg. It is endemic to northwestern Córdoba Province in central Argentina Ar ...

(''C. bergi'') : Bidau's tuco-tuco (''C. bidaui'') :

Bolivian tuco-tuco The Bolivian tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys boliviensis'') is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is found in Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, and Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country loca ...

(''C. boliviensis'') :

Bonetto's tuco-tuco Bonetto's tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys bonettoi'') is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is endemic to Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area o ...

(''C. bonettoi'') :

Brazilian tuco-tuco The Brazilian tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys brasiliensis'') is a tuco-tuco species. It is found mainly in the state of Minas Gerais in southeastern Brazil,Fernandes, F. A., R. Fornel, and T. R. O. Freitas. 2012. ''Ctenomys brasiliensis'' Blainville (Rode ...

(''C. brasiliensis'') :

Budin's tuco-tuco Budin's tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys budini'') was formerly considered a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is endemic to southeast Jujuy Province in northwest Argentina. Given the extensive human presence in its limited range, it has bee ...

(''C. budini'') :

Colburn's tuco-tuco Colburn's tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys colburni'') is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. Its only known habitat is in Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It cove ...

(''C. colburni'') :

Puntilla tuco-tuco The Puntilla tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys coludo'') is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is endemic to central Argentina. The common name of the species comes from the municipality of La Puntilla at the type locality. It was first des ...

(''C. coludo'') :

Conover's tuco-tuco Conover's tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys conoveri'') is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bor ...

(''C. conoveri'') : Contreras' tuco-tuco (''C. contrerasi)'' : Coyhaique tuco-tuco (''C. coyhaiquensis'') : D'Orbigny's tuco-tuco (''C. dorbignyi'') : Chacoan tuco-tuco (''C. dorsalis'') : Emily's tuco-tuco (''C. emilianus'') : Erika’s tuco-tuco (''C. erikacuellarae'') : Famatina tuco-tuco (''C. famosus'') : Flamarion's tuco-tuco (''C. flamarioni'') : Foch's tuco-tuco (''C. fochi'') : Lago Blanco tuco-tuco (''C. fodax'') : Reddish tuco-tuco (''C. frater'') : Tawny tuco-tuco (''C. fulvus'') : Goodfellow's tuco-tuco (''C. goodfellowi'') : Haig's tuco-tuco (''C. haigi'') : Ibicui tuco-tuco (''C. ibicuiensis'') : San Juan tuco-tuco (''C. johannis'') : Jujuy tuco-tuco (''C. juris'') : Catamarca tuco-tuco (''C. knighti'') : Lami tuco-tuco (''C. lami'') :

Mottled tuco-tuco The mottled tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys latro'') is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is endemic to Argentina and Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with ...

(''C. latro'') : Lessa's tuco-tuco (''C. lessai'') : White-toothed tuco-tuco (''C. leucodon'') : Lewis's tuco-tuco (''C. lewisi'') :

Magellanic tuco-tuco The Magellanic tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys magellanicus'') is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is found in Argentina and Chile. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland. It is also known as the cururo by the ...

(''C. magellanicus'') : Maule tuco-tuco (''C. maulinus'') : Mendoza tuco-tuco (''C. mendocinus'') : Tiny tuco-tuco (''C. minutus'') : Natterer's tuco-tuco (''C. nattereri'') : Furtive tuco-tuco (''C. occultus'') : Highland tuco-tuco (''C. opimus'') : Reig's tuco-tuco (''C. osvaldoreigi'') : Pearson's tuco-tuco (''C. pearsoni'') : Goya tuco-tuco (''C. perrensi'') : Peruvian tuco-tuco (''C. peruanus'') :

Pilar tuco-tuco The Pilar tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys pilarensis'') is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is found in Ñeembucú and Misiones Departments in southern Paraguay, east of the city of Pilar. The species lives in areas with sandy soil. It ...

(''C. pilarensis'') : San Luis tuco-tuco (''C. pontifex'') :

Pundt's tuco-tuco Pundt's tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys pundti'') is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is endemic to the Pampas of southern Córdoba and San Luis Provinces in central Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a cou ...

(''C. pundti'') :

Rio Negro tuco-tuco The Rio Negro tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys rionegrensis'') is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is found in a small fragmented range in Entre Ríos Province in northeastern Argentina and in the Río Negro Department of western Uruguay ...

(''C. rionegrensis'') : Roig's tuco-tuco (''C. roigi'') : Salta tuco-tuco (''C. saltarius'') : Scaglia's tuco-tuco (''C. scagliai'') :

Silky tuco-tuco The silky tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys sericeus'') is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is endemic to Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area ...

(''C. sericeus'') :

Social tuco-tuco The social tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys sociabilis'') is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae.Woods, C. A. and C. W. Kilpatrick. (2005). "Infraorder Hystricognathi", pp. 1538–1600 in: Wilson, D. E. and D. M. Reeder''Mammal Species of the Worl ...

(''C. sociabilis'') : Steinbach's tuco-tuco (''C. steinbachi'') : Forest tuco-tuco (''C. sylvanus'') :

Talas tuco-tuco The Talas tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys talarum'') is a species of tuco-tuco endemic to eastern Argentina. Description The Talas tuco-tuco is a large rodent ranging in size from , more than twice the size of a house mouse. Its tail length varies from ...

(''C. talarum'') : Thales's tuco-tuco (''C. thalesi'') :

Collared tuco-tuco The collared tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys torquatus'') is a tuco-tuco species from South America. It is found in southern Brazil, Uruguay and northern Argentina, where it lives underground in a burrow it digs in savannah habitats. It is a relatively com ...

(''C. torquatus'') : Robust tuco-tuco (''C. tuconax'') : Tucuman tuco-tuco (''C. tucumanus'') : Sierra Tontal tuco-tuco (''C. tulduco'') : Strong tuco-tuco (''C. validus'') : Vipos tuco-tuco (''C. viperinus'') : Yates' tuco-tuco (''C. yatesi'') : Yolanda's tuco-tuco (''C. yolandae'') A fossil species '' Ctenomys viarapaensis'' is known from

Holocene The Holocene () is the current geologic time scale, geological epoch, beginning approximately 11,700 years ago. It follows the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene to ...

remains found in central

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 ...

References

{{Authority control Caviomorpha Extant Piacenzian first appearances Taxa named by Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville