Mountain viscacha Facts
Mountain viscacha Facts
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| Interesting Mountain viscacha Facts: |
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| Mountain viscacha is large rodent that can reach 12 to 18 inches in length and up to 6.6 pounds in weight. Tail is usually 8 to 14 inches long. |
| Body of mountain viscacha is covered with dense and soft fur. Dorsal side of the body is grey or brown in color. Belly is usually yellow, grey or white. |
| Color of the fur depends on the season and the age of animal. |
| Mountain viscacha looks like a rabbit with long, fluffy tail. Tail is curled when animal is resting and fully extended when it is moving. |
| Mountain viscacha has short front feet and long, strong hind feet that are designed for jumping. Feet are equipped with fleshy pads which facilitate movement on the rocky terrains. |
| Mountain viscachas are poor diggers and instead in the ground, they form burrows in the rock crevices. |
| Mountain viscacha is diurnal animals (active during the day). It eats and rests in the sun most time of the day. |
| Mountain viscacha is herbivore (plant-eater). Its diet includes various types of grass, mosses and lichens. |
| Mountain viscacha lives in areas with scarce sources of water. Because of that, it rarely drinks water and absorbs all moisture that it needs from the food. |
| Mountain viscachas are very vocal animals. They use variety of sounds for communication within the group. Bird-like whistle is used to alarm other members of the group about upcoming danger. |
| Main predators of mountain viscacha are wild cats and birds of prey. |
| Mountain viscacha lives in large colonies, composed of big number of family groups. Colony usually consists of 80 or more members. |
| Mating season of mountain viscacha takes place from October to December. Males mate with multiple females. Mountain viscachas can have couple of litters per year, but they usually produce only one. |
| Pregnancy in females lasts 130-140 days and ends with one baby. Young viscacha is born fully developed and covered with fur. Baby consumes solid food from the moment of birth in addition to mother's milk (it drinks milk during the first 8 weeks of its life). At the age of one year, mountain viscacha becomes sexually mature. |
| Mountain viscacha can live up to 19 years in captivity. Lifespan in the wild is unknown. |
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