This is one outlet's own report from Phys.org — the article as it was filed.
AIPROPX ReportPhys.org · 2h ago
Secrets of a mystery mammal from Patagonia revealed at last
edited by Gaby Clark , reviewed by Robert Egan
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
Add as preferred source Eight years of painstaking research on the virtually unknown Wolffsohn's viscacha have helped to shine the spotlight on this super-rare South American rodent and catalyze the conservation action it so urgently needs.
BirdLife International and the Wildlife Conservation Society—a team of early-career conservationists from Argentina has transformed our understanding of a species that scientists knew almost nothing about.
The detailed information that the team has compiled about Wolffsohn's viscacha and the threats it faces has led to a change in the species' official conservation status from Data Deficient to Endangered on Argentina's Red List. At the same time, the data is being used to help reassess its status on the global IUCN Red List.
Viscachas bear a superficial resemblance to rabbits, but the two are not closely related. Their physical similarity is the result of a phenomenon called "convergent evolution." This is where unrelated species living in similar habitats, but in completely different parts of the world, end up with shared physical characteristics. In fact, the viscacha's closest cousin is the chinchilla—another native of South America but one that's much more familiar due to its popularity as a pet.
Wolffsohn's viscacha is by far the rarest of the world's five viscacha species. It is endemic to an area of Patagonia that straddles the border between southwestern Argentina and southern Chile, where it is confined to remote rocky outcrops in the mountains.
The project that has put this endearing but enigmatic creature on the conservation map was co-led by conservationists Lucas Hormachea and Morgan Pendaries. Their team surveyed 66 sites across the remote mountains of Patagonia, often working in extreme conditions to reach colonies of the elusive species. The team discovered new colonies and documented evidence of local population declines, helping build the first robust picture of the species' status.
Pendaries said, "We started this work because almost nothing was known about Wolffsohn's viscacha. People often assume that if a species is classed as Data Deficient it is safe, but that isn't true. We now know the species occupies a much smaller area than previously thought, faces multiple threats, and has disappeared from places where it was recorded in the past."
Camera traps deployed near colonies recorded interactions with invasive European hares and feral dogs, while interviews with local communities revealed predation by dogs as an ongoing threat. The team also discovered that the viscacha avoids areas that are popular with mountain climbers, which has led to a shift in part of their range. Researchers are also increasingly concerned about the effects of climate change in the Patagonian Andes.
As well as investigating threats to the species, the project revealed new insights into the behavior and ecology of Wolffsohn's viscacha.
"Eight years ago, we thought the species was mostly active during the day," Pendaries said. "Now we know it is far more nocturnal than we realized. Every year we uncover something new."
Gathering this new information about Wolffsohn's viscacha presented the CLP team with some extreme challenges. To reach remote colonies in southern Patagonia, they spent weeks camping in isolated mountain regions without electricity or internet access. On one expedition, the team had to break through ice blocking a river crossing before their vehicle could continue.
Pendaries said, "There were days when we drove for eight hours through rocky terrain, sleeping in tents for more than two weeks and dealing with freezing temperatures and strong winds. But then you climb onto a mountain ridge and there's nobody else for miles. You're looking at one of the wildest landscapes on Earth and watching a species that almost nobody has ever studied."
While Wolffsohn's viscacha is now listed as Endangered on the Argentina Red List, the nature of local laws means that this does not grant the species automatic protection. More work remains to be done, therefore, to secure the future of the species.
Following discussions with authorities, a legislative proposal is being developed to declare Wolffsohn's viscacha a Natural Heritage Monument in Argentina's Santa Cruz province. According to Argentina's National Parks Law, Natural Heritage Monuments are granted legal protection. They currently include taruca (an Andean deer), petrified forests and the jaguar.
The CLP team is working with researchers in Chile to pursue a global IUCN Red List assessment for the species. The Lagidium Working Group brings Chile and Ecuador together to share knowledge and help ensure increased protection for all threatened species of mountain viscacha.
MA in English, copy editor since 2021 with experience in higher education and health content. Dedicated to trustworthy science news. Full profile →
Bachelor's in mathematical biology, Master's in creative writing. Well-traveled with unique perspectives on science and language. Full profile →
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.
