Microcavia australis

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	RODENTIA	CAVIIDAE

Scientific Name:

Microcavia australis

Species Authority

(I. Geoffroy & d’Orbigny, 1833)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Southern Mountain Cavy

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s

Pardinas, U. & Ojeda., R.

Evaluator/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, and because it is unlikely to be declining at nearly the rate required 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 Argentina between Jujuy and Santa Cruz Provinces, and in Chile in Aisen Province (Woods and Kilpatrick 2005).
Countries:	Native: Argentina; Chile
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	Locally it can occur in high abundance (Cofre and Marquet 1999).
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It occurs in arid and semiarid lowlands and valleys (Tognelli et al. 2001). In south western Argentina, it prefers riparian habitats, forested areas, or sandy forested flats (Redford and Eisenberg 1992). In Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, the species lives in areas without ground vegetation cover where thornbushes (Schinus fasciculatus, Condalia microphylla) are the predominant vegetation (Rood 1970). In the Monte Desert of Mendoza Province, Argentina, species burrows were found near plants with low branches (Ojeda and Mares 1989; Tognelli et al. 1995) and specifically with the plant species Condalia microphylla (Tognelli et al. 1995). It reproduces from August to April with the majority of litters born between September and October (Rood 1970). In captivity, the mean gestation period was 54-60 days (Rood 1970) with a mean litter size of three (range 1-5; Rood 1972).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

It occurs in arid and semiarid lowlands and valleys (Tognelli et al. 2001). In south western Argentina, it prefers riparian habitats, forested areas, or sandy forested flats (Redford and Eisenberg 1992). In Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, the species lives in areas without ground vegetation cover where thornbushes (Schinus fasciculatus, Condalia microphylla) are the predominant vegetation (Rood 1970). In the Monte Desert of Mendoza Province, Argentina, species burrows were found near plants with low branches (Ojeda and Mares 1989; Tognelli et al. 1995) and specifically with the plant species Condalia microphylla (Tognelli et al. 1995).

It reproduces from August to April with the majority of litters born between September and October (Rood 1970).
In captivity, the mean gestation period was 54-60 days (Rood 1970) with a mean litter size of three (range 1-5; Rood 1972).

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	There are no major threats to the species throughout its range. Several local extinctions were reported due to over-predation by the minor grison (Galictis cuja), a small native mustelid (Rood 1970, 1972).

Major Threat(s):

There are no major threats to the species throughout its range. Several local extinctions were reported due to over-predation by the minor grison (Galictis cuja), a small native mustelid (Rood 1970, 1972).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	The species occurs in several protected areas.

Conservation Actions:

The species occurs in several protected areas.

Citation:	Pardinas, U. & Ojeda., R. 2008. Microcavia australis. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 19 November 2008.
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