ThePlains viscacha (Lagostomus maximus), a resident of thePampas ofArgentina, is easily differentiated from other viscachas by black and gray mustache-like facial markings. This species lives colonially inwarrens of 10 to over 100. It is very vocal and emits alarm calls. The plains viscacha can strip grassland used to graze livestock; this has caused ranchers to consider the rodent a pest species.
Lagidium ahuacaense is a newly described species of mountain viscacha from the Ecuadorian Andes.[2]
Thenorthern viscacha (Lagidium peruanum) is native to thePeruvianAndes at elevations between thetree line and thesnow line. It is dorsally gray or brown in color, with a bushy tail and long, furry ears. This species lives in large colonies separated into individual family units, like an apartment complex. It eats a wide range of plant matter, settling for almost anything it can find growing in the harsh, rocky environment.[3]
Thesouthern viscacha (Lagidium viscacia), also called mountain viscacha, is similar to the northern viscacha, but itspelage is more red in color. It lives in similar habitat in the Andes.[3]
Wolffsohn's viscacha (Lagidium wolffsohni) is rarer than the other four species.
A southern viscacha in the Sur Lipez desert, Bolivia
Viscacha near Salar De Uyuni, 2017
A viscacha warms itself in the morning sun in the Andes mountains in Chile.
