Microcavia shiptoni (Thomas, 1925)

Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2016, Caviidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 406-438 : 435

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6585510

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6585564

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03FF87C7-FFB5-5345-2543-F89D5EA2B0C9

treatment provided by

Carolina

scientific name

Microcavia shiptoni
status

 

9. View Plate 25: Caviidae

Shipton’s Mountain Cavy

Microcavia shiptoni View in CoL

French: Cobaye de Shipton / German: Shipton-Zwergmeerschweinchen / Spanish: Cuy de Shipton

Taxonomy. Nanocavia shiptoni Thomas, 1925 View in CoL ,

“Laguna Blanca, Catamarca. Alttude 3400 m,” Argentina .

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. NW Argentina, in the highlands of Salta, Catamarca, and Tucuman provinces. View Figure

Descriptive notes. Head-body 186 mm (maximum 220 mm), ear 17 mm, hindfoot 37 mm; weight 150-220 g. Shipton’s Mountain Cavy is a small cavy. Back is dull brown to tawny, and venter is buffy white or whitish. Ears are short with fine buffy hairs.

Habitat. Andean and pre-Andean shrublands at elevations of 3000-4500 m.

Food and Feeding. There is no specific information available for this species, but Shipton’s Mountain Cavy is no doubt herbivorous.

Breeding. There is no information available for this species.

Activity patterns. There is no information available for this species.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no information available for this species.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. Shipton’s Mountain Cavy has a small and fragmented distribution. Overgrazing in the region is degrading habitat quality. Its distribution overlaps Los Cardones National Park, where it probably receives some protection from disturbance.

Bibliography. Canevari & Vaccaro (2007), Dunnum (2015), Mares et al. (1989), Redford & Eisenberg (1992), Woods & Kilpatrick (2005).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

Family

Caviidae

Genus

Microcavia

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