Lagidium peruanum

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	RODENTIA	CHINCHILLIDAE

Scientific Name:	Lagidium peruanum
Species Authority:	Meyen, 1833
Common Name/s: English – Northern Mountain Viscacha, Northern Viscacha
Taxonomic Notes:	This is a species complex which needs further taxonomic review.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern     ver 3.1
Year Published:	2008
Assessor/s:	Pacheco, V., Zeballos, H., Vivar E. & Bernal, N.
Reviewer/s:	Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Schipper, J. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)
Justification: This species is listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, it occurs in a number of protected areas, has a tolerance of a degree of habitat modification, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a threatened category.
History:	1996 – Lower Risk/least concern (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species occurs in the central and south Peru, and northern Chile (Woods and Kilpatrick, 2005). It may occur in adjacent parts of Bolivia, surrounding Lake Titicaca, although this needs to be confirmed. It has been recorded at 300 m at the coast, close to Lima, up to 5,000 m asl.
Countries:	Native: Chile; Peru Presence uncertain: Bolivia
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	It is a common species.
Population Trend:	Stable

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:

It is associated with very rocky areas, and can be found in a wide variety of habitat types wherever suitable rocky sites exist. It chooses shelters in rocky crevices, usually with one entrance. It is an herbivorous species. The gestation period is 140 days, and the usual litter size is one. Lactation takes about eight weeks. In Peru mating takes place from October through November (Kleiman et al., 1979; Pearson, 1948).

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):

This species is locally hunted for food but populations are generally not declining, and this is not considered to be a major overall threat to the species.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:

It is present in many protected areas (at least 21). Further taxonomic studies of this species are needed.

Bibliography [top]

Kleiman, D. 1977. Monogamy in mammals. Quarterly Review of Biology 52: 39-69. Pearson, O. 1948. Life history of mountain viscachas in Peru. Journal of Mammology 29: 345-374. Woods, C. A. and Kilpatrick, C. W. 2005. Infraorder Hystricognathi. In: D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder (eds), Mammal Species of the World, pp. 1538-1599. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD, USA.