The southern tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys australis'') 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

Ctenomyidae A tuco-tuco is a neotropical rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. Tuco-tucos belong to the only living genus of the family Ctenomyidae, ''Ctenomys'', but they include approximately 60 different species. The common name, "tuco-tuco", comes from the " ...

.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 World''
(3rd ed.) Johns Hopkins University Press. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

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 ...

Anatomy

The southern tuco-tuco is a large rodent, ranging in weight from 250–600 grams. Its head-body length is 15–25 cm, while its tail length is 6–11 cm. At this size, it is one of the largest species within the genus ''Ctenomys''. They are characterized by their large head, short legs, and considerable incisors."Southern Tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys australis'')."
ARKive. 4 October 2013. Their pelage ranges in color from dark brown to black with pale-grey underparts, resembling the sandy soil of its habitat. Its tail, however, has no hair.

Distribution

The southern tuco-tuco lives sympatrically with the

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'') in the coastal grassland and sand dune areas of the Buenos Aires Province, Argentina along the Atlantic coast. Its region ranges from

Necochea Necochea is a port and beach city in the southwest of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast, along the mouth of the Quequén Grande River, from Buenos Aires and southwest of Mar del Plata. T ...

Bahia Blanca Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...

. Though these two species live in the same region, they are microspacially segregated based on their different preferences in soil type. The southern tuco-tuco prefers softer soil with poor and low primary productivity.

Habitat

The southern tuco-tuco lives in sand dunes, building large burrow systems in areas with scarce vegetation and deep soil.

Behavior

Southern tuco-tucos are highly territorial and aggressive. They prefer to live solitary lives, and are suggested to be polygamous. As for dietary consideration, they are herbivorous, feeding on almost all of the plant species available in the grassland area. They have been observed to prefer grasses over

forb A forb or phorb is a herbaceous flowering plant that is not a graminoid (grass, sedge, or rush). The term is used in botany and in vegetation ecology especially in relation to grasslands and understory. Typically, these are eudicots without woo ...

s throughout the year.

Reproduction

The gestation period of the southern tuco-tuco is 100 days and can reproduce up to two times per year. On average, there are approximately 3 young born in a litter, though anywhere between 2 and 6 pups can be born.

Predation

The Southern tuco-tuco can be preyed on by owls, though this is more likely to occur in their sympatric relative, the Talas tuco-tuco due to its difference in size.

Habitat destruction

The sand dune habitats are currently being destroyed for the development of urban areas, forestry, and grassland advancement. Therefore, the survival of the species is threatened, as they depend greatly on the sand dune ecosystem.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q305748 Tuco-tucos Mammals of Argentina Endemic rodentia species of Argentina Mammals described in 1934 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot