Chilean rock rat
species of mammal
The Chilean rock rat (Aconaemys fuscus) is a species of rodent in the family Octodontidae. It is found in the high Andes of Argentina and Chile.
Description
The Chilean rock rat is a short-tailed rodent. Rock rats in the genus Aconaemys are similar to those in the genus Ctenomys but not so specialised for life underground. The ears are rather larger, the claws on the front feet which are used for digging are smaller, and the edging of hairs on the hind feet, used for shifting loose soil, is reduced in size.
The upper parts of the Chilean rock rat are dark brown, with the underparts ranging from reddish brown to white. Sample specimens described in 1966 and 1984, from two different locations, had a head-and-body length ranging from 135 mm (5 in) to 187 mm (7 in), with the tail adding another 58 mm (2 in) – 80 mm (3 in) to the animal's total length.
Its karyotype has 2n = 56 and FN = 108.
Distribution and habitat
This species is endemic to parts of Argentina and Chile in the high Andes in South America. Its range extends from about 33°S to 41°S. In Argentina, it is restricted to thick forests of bamboo and Nothofagus dombeyi, but in Chile it is found in monkey puzzle (Araucaria) and southern beech (Nothofagus) forests, and above the tree line, usually among tussocky grass.
The public source identifies “Chilean rock rat” as species of mammal. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Chilean, rock and species.
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Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 13, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q302133. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1966 and 1984.
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This entry incorporates text from “Chilean rock rat” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.