Patagonian weasel
| Patagonian weasel | ||||||||||||
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Patagonian weasel ( Lyncodon patagonicus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Lyncodon | ||||||||||||
| Gervais , 1845 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Lyncodon patagonicus | ||||||||||||
| ( Blainville , 1842) |
The Patagonian weasel or dwarf grison ( Lyncodon patagonicus ) is a species of predator from the marten family (Mustelidae) that lives in South America .
features
Patagonian weasels are similar to the grisons but are smaller and have a different tooth formula . Their fur is grayish in color on the upper side; the throat, abdomen, and legs are dark brown or black. A white or yellowish stripe runs from the head to both shoulders. Their bodies are elongated, their legs and tail are relatively short. These animals reach a head body length of 30 to 35 centimeters, a tail length of 6 to 9 centimeters, and an average weight of 225 grams.
distribution and habitat
As the name suggests, Patagonian weasels are native to Patagonia in southern and western Argentina and southern Chile . Their habitat is the grasslands of the pampas .
Way of life
Little is known about the way of life of these animals, probably they are crepuscular or nocturnal. From the teeth one concludes that they are carnivores to a greater extent than other representatives of the Mustelinae , their food is likely to consist mainly of small rodents such as comb rats and dwarf guinea pigs , into whose burrows they often invade.
Patagonian weasels and people
Patagonian weasels are sometimes kept on farms to catch rats .
Danger
There is little information about the degree of risk; in Chile they are considered rare. However, the IUCN did not include them as an endangered species in 1996. Today it is seen in the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species as a species for which a risk assessment cannot be carried out due to insufficient data (“data deficient”).
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 ISBN 0801857899
Web links
- Lyncodon patagonicus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2009. Posted by: Kelt, D. & pardinus, U., 2008. Accessed January 24 of 2010.