Chinchilla rats are members of the family Abrocomidae. They resemble Chinchillas (to which they are closely related) in appearance but have a body-structure more like a rat. Some molecular work (Huchon and Douzery, 2001), however, suggests that they may be more closely related to octodontoids such as degus, nutria, and tuco-tucos than to chinchillas and viscachas. All species of chinchilla rat live in the Andes Mountains of South America and are probably herbivorous, although this is not clear.

Species

• Family Abrocomidae - chinchilla rats
  • †Protabrocoma
    • †Protabrocoma antigua
  • Abrocoma
    • Abrocoma bennettii
    • Abrocoma boliviensis
    • Abrocoma budini
    • Abrocoma cinerea
    • Abrocoma famatina
    • Abrocoma schistacea
    • Abrocoma uspallata
    • Abrocoma vaccarum
  • Cuscomys
    • †Cuscomys oblativus
    • Cuscomys ashaninka

References

• Braun, J. K. and M. A. Mares. 2002. Systematics of the Abrocoma cinerea species complex (Rodentia: Abrocomidae), with a description of a new species of Abrocoma. Journal of Mammalogy, 83:1-19.
• Emmons, L. H. 1999. A new genus and species of abrocomid rodent from Peru (Rodentia: Abrocomidae). American Museum Novitas, 3279:1-14.
• Huchon, D. and E. J. P. Douzery. 2001. From the Old World to the New World: a molecular chronicle of the phylogeny and biogeography of hystricognath rodents. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 20:238-251.

External links

• Animal Diversity web site's chinchilla rat information
• ITIS entry for Abrocomidae

Rodents | Hystricognath rodents

Chinchillaratten | Abrocomidae | Šinšilžiurkiniai | Chinchillaratten | Крысиношиншилловые