Tawny tuco-tuco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tawny tuco-tuco |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Ctenomys
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| Species: |
fulvus
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| Subspecies | |
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C. f. fulvus Philippi, 1860 |
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The tawny tuco-tuco (its scientific name is Ctenomys fulvus) is a type of rodent. It's a burrowing animal, meaning it digs tunnels to live in. This small creature belongs to the family Ctenomyidae. You can find tawny tuco-tucos in the dry, desert areas of northern Chile and nearby parts of Argentina.
What Does It Look Like?
The tawny tuco-tuco can grow to be about 28 to 35 centimeters (11 to 14 inches) long. One type, called C. f. robustus, can even be bigger!
Its head has some dark brown parts, like its forehead and around its mouth. The rest of its head and its back are a grayish-brown color. Its sides are a lighter brown. The fur on its belly is a warm, cinnamon-buff color. Its tail is brownish-black and has a light tuft of hairs at the end. The tops of its feet are whitish-buff with some darker marks.
Where Do They Live?
This animal lives in both Argentina and Chile. There are two main groups, or populations, of tawny tuco-tucos.
One group, called C. f. robustus, lives in the Antofagasta Region of Chile and the areas next to it in northwestern Argentina. The other group, C. f. fulvus, lives only in a place called the Oasis de Pica in the Tarapacá Region of northern Chile. These two areas are quite far apart.
Tawny tuco-tucos usually live in flat desert areas. They like sandy soil, and places with creosote bushes and other scrubby plants. They also live near lines of trees that grow along dry riverbeds and creeks.
How Do They Live?
Tawny tuco-tucos dig burrows (tunnels) to live in. These burrows are at least 25 centimeters (10 inches) deep. The temperature outside in these very dry deserts can change a lot, from 6 to 62 degrees Celsius (43 to 144 degrees Fahrenheit)! But deep inside their burrows, the temperature stays much more stable, usually between 19 and 25 degrees Celsius (66 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit).
These rodents are most active in the early morning, especially during the dry season. They eat things like the leaves and roots of Larrea plants (creosote bushes). They get most of the water they need from their food. The cool, steady temperature in their burrows helps protect them from getting too hot, which could be very dangerous for them.
Their Conservation Status
We don't know exactly how many tawny tuco-tucos there are. However, they live in a wide area, so scientists believe there are many of them in total. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the tawny tuco-tuco as a "least concern" animal. This means that even if their numbers are going down, they are not decreasing fast enough to be considered threatened right now.
