Facts about Viscachas

1. 09

   Roughly 70 percent of a viscacha's diet consists of tough grasses and woody shrubs from high-altitude Andean slopes, making them highly specialized herbivores adapted to sparse alpine vegetation.

   ViscachasMay 14sharebiologydietadaptation
2. 08

   Viscachas' teeth grow continuously throughout their lifetime, requiring constant wear from gnawing on tough vegetation and rocks to prevent overgrowth.

   ViscachasMay 14sharebiologyanatomyadaptation
3. 07

   Viscachas possess specialized cheek pouches that allow them to carry nesting materials and food back to their burrows during foraging expeditions across rocky Andean terrain.

   ViscachasMay 14sharebiologyadaptationbehavior
4. 06

   Viscachas have been hunted for their soft fur since at least the 16th century, when Spanish conquistadors began exporting their pelts to Europe as luxury material.

   ViscachasMay 14sharehistoryhuntingtrade
5. 05

   Viscacha populations can number up to 80 individuals per colony, living in complex burrow systems called viscacheras that may contain dozens of interconnected tunnels.

   ViscachasMay 14sharebehaviorbiologysocial
6. 04

   Female viscachas produce milk with approximately 8 percent fat content, among the richest compositions of any rodent species.

   ViscachasMay 14sharebiologyreproductionmeasurement
7. 03

   Viscachas can leap up to 2 meters high to escape predators across their Andean mountain habitat from 7,500 to 13,000 feet elevation.

   ViscachasMay 14sharebehaviormeasurementhabitat
8. 02

   Viscachas produce over 80 different vocalizations to communicate with colony members, including barks, squeaks, and purrs.

   ViscachasMay 14sharecommunicationbehaviorbiology
9. 01

   At over 28 centimeters in length, viscachas possess the longest ears relative to body size of any rodent species.

   ViscachasMay 13sharebiologymeasurementanatomy