Microcavia

Genus of rodents

Microcavia
Southern mountain cavy (Microcavia australis)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Caviidae
Subfamily: Caviinae
Genus: Microcavia
Gervais & Ameghino, 1880
Type species
Microcavia typus
Gervais & Ameghino, 1880

Microcavia (mountain cavies) is a genus of rodents in the family Caviidae. They are unique within their family in that their premolar teeth do not grow and replace the original deciduous cheek teeth until after the animal is born; in other genera this occurs in the womb.[1]

It contains six extant species:[2]

  • Southern mountain cavy, M. australis
  • Jayat's mountain cavy, M. jayat
  • Thomas's mountain cavy, M. maenas
  • Andean mountain cavy, M. niata
  • Shipton's mountain cavy, M. shiptoni
  • Sorojchi mountain cavy, M. sorojchi

At least nine fossil species have also been named, dating back to the mid Pliocene, although it is unclear how many of these are truly valid.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Tognelli, M.F.; Campos, C.M. & Ojeda, R.A. (2001). "Microcavia australis" (PDF). Mammalian Species. 648: 1–4. doi:10.1644/1545-1410(2001)648<0001:ma>2.0.co;2. S2CID 198968945. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-06-30. Retrieved 2015-06-27.
  2. ^ Mammal Diversity Database (2021-11-06), Mammal Diversity Database, doi:10.5281/zenodo.5651212, retrieved 2021-11-26
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Extant species of family Caviidae (Cavies)
Caviinae
Cavia
(Guinea pigs)
  • Brazilian guinea pig (Cavia aperea)
  • Shiny guinea pig (Cavia fulgida)
  • Santa Catarina´s guinea pig (Cavia intermedia)
  • Greater guinea pig (Cavia magna)
  • Guinea pig (Cavia porcellus)
  • Montane guinea pig (Cavia tschudii)
Galea
(Yellow-toothed
cavies)
  • Southern highland yellow-toothed cavy (Galea comes)
  • Yellow-toothed cavy (Galea flavidens)
  • Lowland yellow-toothed cavy (Galea leucoblephara)
  • Common yellow-toothed cavy (Galea musteloides)
  • Spix's yellow-toothed cavy (Galea spixii)
Microcavia
(Mountain cavies)
  • Southern mountain cavy (Microcavia australis)
  • Andean mountain cavy (Microcavia niata)
  • Shipton's mountain cavy (Microcavia shiptoni)
Dolichotinae (Maras)
Dolichotis
  • Patagonian mara (Dolichotis patagonum)
Pediolagus
  • Chacoan mara (Pediolagus salinicola)
Hydrochoerinae
Hydrochoerus
  • Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)
  • Lesser capybara (Hydrochoerus isthmius)
Kerodon
(Rock cavies)
  • Rock cavy (Kerodon rupestris)
  • Acrobatic cavy (Kerodon acrobata)
Category
Taxon identifiers
Microcavia


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