FIGURE 1

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 2

FIGURE 2
FIGURE 3

FIGURE 3
FIGURE 4

FIGURE 4
FIGURE 5

FIGURE 5
FIGURE 6

FIGURE 6
FIGURE 7

FIGURE 7
FIGURE 8

FIGURE 8
FIGURE 9

FIGURE 9
FIGURE 10

FIGURE 10
PLAINS VISCACHA Lagostomus maximus
A large rodent with a striped head, somewhat intermediate between a Chinchilla and a Hare. Viscachas are confined to the dry Chaco where they build massive undergroudn colonies known as "Viscacheras" the entrance becoming littered with their torpedo-shaped droppings. Part of the construction of these burrows requires the removal of all the vegetation in the surrounding area, so Viscacheras are often conspicuous. Each Viscachera is occupied by one or two males, several females and their offspring, the male defending the colony from intruders. They are nocturnal, emerging at night to consume grasses. Bizarrely they have the strange habit of wedging huge sticks into the entrance hole, a practice which earns them the nickname "Conejo de los Palos" (Stick Rabbit). In some areas Viscacha meat is considered a delicacy.
Click on images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1- (FPMAM948PH) Adult, PN Tte Enciso, Departamento Boquerón (Aldo Fretes April 2011).
FIGURE 2 -  (FPMAM786PH) Adults at "Viscachera", Nueva Asunción, High Chaco (Neil Poppendeck October 2008).
FIGURE 3 - (FPMAM787PH) Individuals at same "Viscachera" (Neil Poppendeck October 2008).
FIGURE 4 - (FPMAM788PH) Adult, Nueva Asunción, High Chaco (Jon Hall August 2010).
FIGURE 5 - (FPMAM789PH) Adult in burrow, Nueva Asunción, High Chaco (Jon Hall August 2010).
FIGURE 6 - (FPMAM790PH) Characteristically large, bare "Viscachera" littered with faeces, Nueva Asunción, Departamento Boquerón (Paul Smith July 2006).
FIGURE 7 - (FPMAM791PH) Vizcachera, PN Médanos del Chaco, Departamento Boquerón (Paul Smith September 2007).
FIGURE 8 - (FPMAM792PH) Hindfoot print, PN Médanos del Chaco, Departamento Boquerón (Paul Smith September 2007).
FIGURE 9 - (FPMAM793PH) Footprints. Nueva Asunción, Departamento Boquerón (Paul Smith July 2006).
FIGURE 10 - (FPMAM794PH) Faeces, Nueva Asunción, Departamento Boquerón (Paul Smith July 2006).
VIDEO - (FPMAM911VI) Adult, PN Tte Enciso, Departamento Boquerón (Paul Smith November 2010).
Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Photographs on this page were taken by Paul Smith, Jon Hall, Aldo Fretes and Neil Poppendeck and are used with their permission.
Jon Hall´s website Mammal Watching.com is highly recommended!
DORSAL

DORSAL
VENTRAL

VENTRAL
LATERAL

LATERAL
Plains Viscacha Lagostomus maximus
DORSAL (FPMAM795PH); VENTRAL (FPMAM796PH); LATERAL (FPMAM797PH)