Ashy chinchilla rat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ashy chinchilla rat |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Abrocoma
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| Species: |
cinerea
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The ashy chinchilla rat (Abrocoma cinerea) is a small animal that looks a bit like a chinchilla. It belongs to a group of animals called chinchilla rats. You can find these rats in countries like Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru.
Contents
What They Look Like
Ashy chinchilla rats are usually about 21 to 43 centimeters (8 to 17 inches) long from head to tail. Their body is about 15 to 25 centimeters (6 to 10 inches) long, and their tail adds another 6 to 8 centimeters (2 to 3 inches).
They have soft, thick, silver-colored fur on their backs. Their bellies are lighter, either white or yellow. They have four toes on their front feet and five toes on their back feet.
Where They Live
These chinchilla rats live only in certain high-up areas of South America. You can find them in southeastern Peru, southwestern Bolivia, northern Chile, and northwestern Argentina.
They prefer to live in rocky places, high in the mountains. Their homes are usually between 3,850 and 5,000 meters (about 12,600 to 16,400 feet) above sea level. They dig their burrows (underground homes) under rocks, among loose stones, or at the bottom of stone walls.
How They Live and What They Eat
Ashy chinchilla rats are social animals. They live underground in groups, with up to six rats sharing one burrow. Sometimes, several of these group burrows are found close together.
They are herbivores, which means they only eat plants. Their diet includes seeds, fruits, and nuts. They especially like to eat plants called Thola and Yareta.
These rats are quite sociable and make different sounds to communicate. When they are scared or fighting, they make squeaking and grunting noises. If they are grooming each other, they might make gurgling sounds. Not much is known about their breeding, but a mother usually has one or two babies after about 118 days.
Their Conservation Status
Sometimes, people hunt ashy chinchilla rats for their fur. Their pelts (furs) are sold in local markets, often to tourists.
However, these rats live across a very large area and there are many of them. Their population seems to be stable. They can also adjust to some changes in their habitat. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says they are a species of "least concern". This means they are not currently in danger of disappearing.
