Microcavia

Microcavia
Southern mountain cavy (Microcavia australis)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Placentalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Caviidae
Subfamily: Caviinae
Genus: Microcavia
Gervais & Ameghino, 1880
Type species
Microcavia typus †

Microcavia (mountain cavies) is a genus of rodents in the family Caviidae. They are unique within their family in that their premolar teeth do not grow and replace the original deciduous cheek teeth until after the animal is born; in other genera this occurs in the womb.[1]

It contains six extant species:[2]

The extant species, Microcavia Australis, Southern Mountain cavy, are semi-fossorial, which means they are animals that have adapted to living underground by digging into burrows & tunnels. M. Australis are daytime and social rodent native to South America. They inhibit arid and semiarid lowlands and valleys and can be seen in certain habitats like Dunes, Dessert and dryer lands. For example, in Southwestern Argentina, it prefers, riparian habitats, forested areas and sandy forest flats. While in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, southern cavies inhibit areas where thornbushes are the predominant vegetation. Microcavia contributes to the ecological system of the world, through vegetation, ways of living, and adaptability.

Four fossil species are traditionally recognized, including the type species of this genus:

  • Microcavia chapalmalensis
  • Microcavia reigi
  • Microcavia robusta
  • Microcavia typus


At least nine other fossil species have also been named, dating back to the mid Pliocene, although it is unclear how many of these are truly valid.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Tognelli, Marcelo F.; Campos, Claudia M.; Ojeda, Ricardo A. (January 2001). "Microcavia australis". Mammalian Species. 648: 1–4. doi:10.1644/1545-1410(2001)648<0001:MA>2.0.CO;2.
  2. ^ Mammal Diversity Database (Report). 2025. doi:10.5281/zenodo.17033774.

Further reading

  • Cecere, M. Carla; Cardinal, Marta V.; Arrabal, Juan P.; Moreno, Claudio; Gürtler, Ricardo E. (February 2015). "Microcavia australis (Caviidae, Rodentia), a new highly competent host of Trypanosoma cruzi I in rural communities of northwestern Argentina". Acta Tropica. 142: 34–40. doi:10.1016/j.actatropica.2014.10.019. PMID 25447830.
  • Taraborelli, Paula; Moreno, Pablo (January 2009). "Comparing composition of social groups, mating system and social behaviour in two populations of Microcavia australis". Mammalian Biology. 74 (1): 15–24. doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2008.08.002.
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