Mountain guinea pigs
| Mountain guinea pigs | ||||||||||||
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Mountain Guinea Pig ( Kerodon rupestris ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Kerodon rupestris | ||||||||||||
| ( Wied-Neuwied , 1820) |
The mountain guinea pig ( Kerodon rupestris ), also called rock guinea pig or Moko , is a wild guinea pig native to northeastern Brazil . It's about the size of a house guinea pig , but has longer legs. The fur is gray above and yellow-brown below.
The mountain guinea pig's habitat is rocky areas in the states of Minas Gerais , Bahia and Piauí . Here it is hidden under the stones during the day and comes out at dusk. In search of food, mainly leaves, it also climbs trees.
The mountain guinea pig is easy to tame , but is irrelevant as a farm animal beyond the region. His meat is also valued in his homeland.
Genetic studies have shown that the mountain guinea pig is more closely related to the capybaras than to the actual guinea pigs , which is why it is classified with them in a common subfamily , Hydrochoerinae .
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
- Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 2 volumes. 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .
Individual evidence
- ^ Murray Wrobel: Elsevier's Dictionary of Mammals . Elsevier, 2006, ISBN 978-0-08-048882-0 ( google.de [accessed January 10, 2019]).
Web links
- Kerodon rupestris in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006. Posted by: Contreras, 1996. Retrieved on 12 May, 2006.