Octomys mimax

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	RODENTIA	OCTODONTIDAE

Scientific Name:	Octomys mimax
Species Authority:	Thomas, 1920
Common Name/s: English – Viscacha Rat

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern     ver 3.1
Year Assessed:	2008
Assessor/s:	Lessa, E., Ojeda, R. & Bidau, C.
Reviewer/s:	Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Schipper, J. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)
Justification: This species is listed as Least Concern because of its relatively wide distribution, presumed large population, occurrence in a number of protected areas, tolerance to some degree of habitat modification, and because it is unlikely to be declining at nearly the rate required to qualify for listing in a threatened category. The species may in the future qualify for Near Threatened if current agricultural trends persist.
History:	1996 – Lower Risk/least concern (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species occurs in Argentina (between 28° and 32°S (Ojeda pers. comm.)) along the foothills and lower montane slopes of the Andes, and portions of the Monte Desert of Catamarca, La Rioja, San Juan, and northern Mendoza Provinces (Woods and Kilpatrick 2005). It is found in two disjunct areas (Ojeda pers. comm.).
Countries:	Native: Argentina
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	There is no information available on the population status of this species.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It is associated with rocky areas (Ojeda pers. comm.).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):

The major threat to this species is loss of habitat to mining and cattle ranching (Ojeda and Lessa pers. comm.).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:

It occurs within very few protected areas.

Bibliography [top]

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.