Loading AI tools
Family of rodents From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Octodontidae is a family of rodents, restricted to southwestern South America. Fourteen species of octodontid are recognised, arranged in seven genera. The best known species is the common degu, Octodon degus.
Octodontids Temporal range: | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Common degu, Octodon degus | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Suborder: | Hystricomorpha |
Infraorder: | Hystricognathi |
Parvorder: | Caviomorpha |
Superfamily: | Octodontoidea |
Family: | Octodontidae Waterhouse, 1839 |
Type genus | |
Octodon Bennett, 1823 | |
Genera | |
Octodon |
Octodontids are medium-sized rodents, ranging from 12 to 20 cm (4.7 to 7.9 in) in body length. They have long, silky, fur, which is typically brownish in color, and often paler on the underside. The name 'octodont' derives from the wear pattern of their teeth, which resembles a figure 8. Most are nocturnal, social, burrowing animals, though the degu is largely diurnal. They are herbivorous, eating tubers, bulbs, and cactuses.[1]
Some authors have suggested that the octodontids should be reclassified in the order Lagomorpha, but this has not been supported by further analyses.[2] Older literature includes the tuco-tucos in the family, as the subfamily Ctenomyinae, but these animals are normally now treated as a separate family, Ctenomyidae. There is some evidence that evolution within the family may have resulted from polyploidy. The red viscacha rat, Tympanoctomys barrerae, has been proposed to be a tetraploid, with 102 chromosomes.[3][4] However, subsequent studies have shown that the increased genome size is due to expansions of repetitive DNA elements.[5][6]
Members of the genus Aconaemys are referred to as rock rats, and members of genera Octodon and Octodontomys are called degus, though the name degu on its own historically implied O. degu. The single member of Spalacopus, S. cyanus, is called the coruro. Members of the other genera are called viscacha rats.
Genus Aconaemys Ameghino, 1891 (Andean rock rats).
Genus Spalacopus (Wagler, 1832).
Genus Octodon Bennett, 1832 (typical degus).
Genus Octodontomys Palmer, 1903.
Genus Pipanacoctomys Mares et al., 2000.
Genus Tympanoctomys Yepes, 1942.
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.