The Patagonian chinchilla mouse (''Euneomys chinchilloides'') is a 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

Cricetidae The Cricetidae are a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. It includes true hamsters, voles, lemmings, muskrats, and New World rats and mice. At over 870 species, it is either the largest or second-largest family ...

. It was first described by

George Robert Waterhouse George Robert Waterhouse (6 March 1810 – 21 January 1888) was an English natural history, naturalist. He was a keeper at the department of geology and later curator of the Zoological Society of London's museum. Early life George was born ...

in 1839. It is found 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 ...

and neighboring areas of southernmost

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 ...

and

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 ...

Taxonomy

''Euneomys chinchilloides'' is the current name for the Patagonian chinchilla mouse.

Distribution and habitat

''Euneomys chinchilloides'' can be found in the Tierra del Fuego, and are generally widespread in mainland

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 ...

. They are also fairly abundant in the Sierras de Tecka, a region situated 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 ...

mountains. Their habitat consists of scree that is windswept and bare.

Life history

Morphology

The genus ''Euneomys'' are described as having medium to large body size. They have short tails and dense fur. Their molars are hypsodont. Measurements of the body length, including the head, of ''Euneomys chinchilloides'' ranges from 103 to 143 mm. Tail length ranges from 62 to 90 mm. Hindfoot length ranges from 25 to 30 mm. The length of the ear ranges from 18.5 to 22.2 mm.

Ecology

The genus ''Euneomys'' are herbivorous and nocturnal.

Genetics

''Euneomys chinchilloides'' have 34 chromosomes, although some specimens exhibited an extra pair of chromosomes.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q306408 Euneomys Mammals of Patagonia Mammals of Argentina Mammals of Chile Mammals described in 1839 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by George Robert Waterhouse