About Lagostomus maximus (Desmarest, 1817)
The plains viscacha, also spelled plains vizcacha, with the scientific name Lagostomus maximus, is a viscacha species and a rodent belonging to the family Chinchillidae. It is the only living species in the genus Lagostomus, and the largest species in its entire family. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay. This species constructs elaborate burrows that can house consecutive colonies for decades. It should not be confused with the plains viscacha rat. Plains viscachas live in communal burrow systems. Their social groups hold one or more males, multiple females, and immature individuals. They forage in groups at night and cluster together underground during the day. All group members use burrows across the entire communal system and take part in digging the burrows. Alarm calls are primarily produced by adult males. The long-term social unit of plains viscacha is the female group. Resident males leave the group each year, and new males join the female groups. Colonies of plains viscacha can range in size from just a few individuals to hundreds of individuals. To support social communication within the colony, the species has developed an impressive range of vocalizations that it uses during social interactions. No dominance hierarchy exists among females. Members of a social group share a common foraging area surrounding their communal burrow system. They feed on a wide variety of grasses and forbs, and will occasionally graze on low shrubs. They collect branches and heavy objects to cover their burrow entrances. When plains viscachas live near human settlements, they tend to hoard a wide range of human-made objects including brooms, tables, garden tools, firewood, trinkets, and pieces of concrete to cover their burrows.
