About
Chalchalero Viscacha Rat specialises in feeding on halophite plants (plants that are able to grow in high salt areas).
This species is known from only 2 specimens collected from one location in Argentina
The main threat to this species is that all know individuals have been found in an area of less than 10 km² and this habitat is continuing to decline, and there are no conservation actions currently in place.
- Order: Rodentia
- Family: Octodontidae
- Trend: decreasing
EDGE Score
Distribution
This species is known from two specimens collected from one type locality at 26 km SW of Quimilo, Dept de Chamical, La Rioja, Argentina.
Habitat and Ecology
The habitat consists of perisaline shrublands associated with the Salinas Grandes along the edges of thorn scrub islands that rise within the salt flat and provide dense thorn scrub on sandy substrate. The Chalchalero Viscacha rat is restricted to a narrow band of halophytic plant habitat that lies between the bare salt flat and the dense thorn scrub habitat of cacti, trees and shrubs that is typical of the Gran Chaco.