The Talas tuco-tuco (''Ctenomys talarum'') is a species of

tuco-tuco 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 " ...

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 ...

to eastern

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 ...

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 and it weighs approximately . The species shows significant

sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where sexes of the same species exhibit different Morphology (biology), morphological characteristics, including characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most dioecy, di ...

. The Talas tuco-tuco basically has a cylindrically-shaped body, but is larger around the head and shoulders. It has short fine hair, which is normally a mix of hazel, gray and red on the back, and white on the underparts. It also has a distinct white patch on either side of the head, along the lower edge of its ears. Its eyes and ears are small compared to its headband it has very long, curved claws on all four feet.

Distribution and habitat

The Talas tuco-tuco is subterranean, living in burrows. Only one inhabits a particular burrow at a time; however, some build extensive burrowing systems connecting individual burrows with tunnels. They prefer areas with loamy soil, grass, perennials plants and woody shrubs. In some cases, they can be found in sandy soils as well. They are usually found along the coasts of the Buenos Aires, La Pampa and Santa Fe provinces.Redford, K. H. and Eisenberg, J. F. (1992). ''Mammals of the Neotropics. The southern cone.'' University Chicago Press, Illinois.

Biology

Talas tuco-tucos are herbivorous, feeding on roots and grasses. Unlike most subterranean rodents, Talas tuco-tucos leave their burrows to forage for vegetation above ground.Martino, N., Zenuto, R. R. and Busch, C. (1999). "Respuestas nutricionales a corto plazo en ''Ctenomys talarum''". Libro de resúmenes de las XIV Jornadas Argentinas de Mastozoología o volume number 70. Males can be sexually active throughout the year, but females have a much more restrictive breeding season, so that most pregnancies occur around August. An average litter consists of four offspring, with a slight about 1.63 females being born per male. The lactation period is estimated at about 45 days. In a study, one male was found to have copulated with all the females in the area.Zenuto, R. R., Vasallo, A. I. and Busch, C. (1996). "Comportamieto social y reproductivo de ''Ctenomys talarum'' en cautiverio". Libro de resúmenes de las XI Jornadas Argentinas de Mastozoología o volume number9–10. Predators include the

burrowing owl The burrowing owl (''Athene cunicularia''), also called the shoco, is a small, long-legged, primarily terrestrial—though not flightless—species of owl native to the open landscapes of North and South America. They are typically found in gra ...

short-eared owl The short-eared owl (''Asio flammeus'') is a widespread grassland species in the family Strigidae. Owls belonging to genus ''Asio'' are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or ...

barn owl The barn owls, owls in the genus '' Tyto'', are the most widely distributed genus of owls in the world. They are medium-sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons. The ter ...

, and variable hawk.Bó, M. S., Rodriguez, S., Bachmann, S., Vargas, R. J. and Darrieu, C. A. (2000). "Importancia de los mamíferos en la dieta invernal del aguilucho común Buteo polyosoma en Mar Chiquita (Provincia de Buenos Aires)". Libro de resúmenes de las XV Jornadas Argentinas de Mastozoología o volume number38. Lice that feed on the species include '' Eulinognathus americanus'', '' Gyropus parvus'', and '' Phtheropoios forficulatus''.Contreras, J. R., Castro, D. C. and Cichino, A. C. (1992). "Acerca de las relaciones de los parásitos Phthiraptera (Amblycera, Gyropidae) de los roedores excavadores del género ''Ctenomys'' (Rodentia, Ctenomyidae) con la evolución taxonómica de los huéspedes". Libro de resúmenes de las VI Jornadas de Ciencias Naturales del Litoral o volume number 90–92. Trichostrongylids can be found in the small intestine, and trichurids in the

caecum The cecum ( caecum, ; plural ceca or caeca, ) is a pouch within the peritoneum that is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine. It is typically located on the right side of the body (the same side of the body as the appendix, ...

of the Talas tuco-tuco.Rossin, M. A., Malizia, A. I. and Sardella, N. (1999). "Estudio de la fauna endoparasitaria de ''Ctenomys talarum'' (Rodentia: Octodontidae) de la localidad de Necochea". Libro de resúmenes de las XIV Jornadas Argentinas de Mastozoología o volume number 79.

Behavior

The Talas tuco-tuco is solitary, aggressive and territorial. They use scent recognition to distinguish between individuals.Fanjul, M. S., Zenuto, R. R. and Busch, C. (2000). "Discriminación olfativa a nivel de individuo en el roedor subterráneo ''Ctenomys talarum'' Rodentia: Octodontidae)". Libro de resúmenes de las XV Jornadas Argentinas de Mastozoología o volume number 55. Males engage in one on one confrontations with other males for prospective mates, using their sharp incisors as weapons. These can also be used as digging tools, but they prefer to use their claws when building their burrows. Although they are subterranean, they spend much of their time above the ground, foraging for food.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q305759 Tuco-tucos Mammals of Argentina Endemic rodentia species of Argentina Mammals described in 1898 Taxa named by Oldfield Thomas Taxonomy articles created by Polbot