Table 34.1 Summary of natural and life history attributes of octodontid rodents
Body Social
Species (common name) mass (g) Principal habitat Pattern of burrow use structure Reference
Aconaemys fuscus(tunduco) 100 –143 Forests, bunchgrass Partially subterranean, Social (?) Mann 1978; Pearson 1984;
frequent digger Reise and Gallardo 1989;
Redford and Eisenberg
1992
Aconaemys porteri(great tunduco)? Forests Partially subterranean, Social (?) Muñoz-Pedreros 2000
frequent digger (?)
Aconaemys sagei(tunduco) 83 –110 Forests, bunchgrass Partially subterranean,? Pearson 1984
frequent digger
Octodon bridgesi(Bridge’s degu) 142 Forests Nests underground, Social (?) Ipinza et al. 1971; Mann
rarely digs 1978; Muñoz and Murúa
1987
Octodon degus(common degu) 170 –260 Open thorn-bush Nests underground, Social Fulk 1976; Mann 1978;
savannah frequent digger Redford and Eisenberg
1992; Ebensperger et al.
2004
Octodon lunatus(coastal degu) 233 Dense thorny scrub Nests underground,? Ipinza et al. 1971; Reford
rarely digs (?) and Eisenberg 1992
Octodontomys gliroides(soco) 115 –176 Open areas with Nests underground,? Mann 1978; Redford and
rocks climbs rocks, rarely digs Eisenberg 1992
Octomys mimax(hairy-tailed rat) 121–144 Arid scrub, rock Nests undergound,? Mares and Ojeda 1981
outcrops climbs rocks
Spalacopus cyanus(cururo) 75 –190 Open to moderately Subterranean Social Reig 1970; Torres-Mura
dense scrub, and Contreras 1998
montane meadows
Tympanoctomys barrerae(red 52 – 91 Open arid basins Nests underground Solitary Mares et al. 1997; Díaz et al.
viscacha rat) and dunes frequent digger, 2000
NOTE: Measures of body mass are from Redford and Eisenberg (1992).
Table 34.2 Summary of natural and life history attributes of ctenomyid rodents
Body Social
Species mass (g) Principal habitat structure References
C. australis 248 –500 Coastal sand dunes Solitary Contreras and Reig 1965; Comparatore et al.
1991; Redford and Eisenberg 1992
C. flamarioni 194 –260a Sandy coastal areas Solitary El Jundi and de Freitas 2004
C. fulvus 300 – 400 Sandy desert flats Solitary Mann 1978, Miller et al. 1983
C. haigi 110 –180b Arid steppe grasslands Solitary Pearson and Christie 1985; Lacey et al. 1998;
Lacey and Wieczorek 2003
C. maulinus 220 –300 Mesic meadows, Notofagusforest Solitary Gallardo and Anrique 1991; E. Lacey, personal
observations
C. mendocinus 145 –180c Arid shrubs and grasslands Solitary Puig et al. 1992; Rosi et al. 2002
C. opimus 230 –530 Altiplano Solitary Pearson 1951, 1959; Pine et al. 1979; Mares
et al. 1981
C. pearsoni 165 –300 Coastal dunes and grasslands Solitary Altuna et al. 1999; G. Francescoli and G. Iz-
quierdo, personal communication
C. peruanus 340 – 663d Mesic meadows Social Pearson 1959
C. rionegrensis 110 –230^5 Stable sand dunes Solitary Lessa et al. in 2005
C. sociabilis 180 –350^2 Mesic meadows (“mallines”) Social Pearson and Christie 1985; Lacey et al. 1997;
Lacey and Wieczorek 2004
C. talarum 92 –193 Coastal grasslands Solitary Pearson et al. 1969; Busch et al. 2000
C. torquatus 156 –304 Open savannas Solitary Redford and Eisenberg 1992
NOTES: The taxonomy follows Woods (1993) but includes several more recently described species (indicated with an asterisk [*]). Unless otherwise noted, measures of body mass
are from Redford and Eisenberg (1992). No data regarding social structure were available for an additional ca. 28 species of ctenomyids included in Woods (1993) or described
subsequently.a
bData on body mass from El Jundi and de Freitas (2004).
cData on body mass from E. A. Lacey, unpublished data.
dData on body mass from Rosi et al. (2002).
eData on body mass from Pearson (1959).
Data on body mass from E. Lessa and B. Tassino (personal communication).