Dolichotis

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title: "Dolichotis" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cavies", "extant-miocene-first-appearances", "articles-containing-video-clips", "rodent-genera", "taxa-named-by-anselme-gaëtan-desmarest", "mammal-genera-with-one-living-species"] description: "Genus of rodents" topic_path: "technology/web" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolichotis" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Genus of rodents ::

| image = Mara 1.jpg | image_caption = A male Patagonian mara | taxon = Dolichotis | authority = Desmarest, 1820 | type_species = Cavia patachonica | type_species_authority = Shaw, 1801 (= Cavia patagonum Zimmermann, 1780) | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision =

• D. patagonum, Patagonian mara
• D. salinicola, Chacoan mara
• †D. intermedia Ameghino 1889
• †D. platycephala Ameghino 1889

Dolichotis is a genus of the cavy family of rodents. These large relatives of guinea pigs are common in the Patagonian steppes of Argentina, but also live in Paraguay and elsewhere in South America. It contains a single extant species, the Patagonian mara, which is one of the largest rodents in the world after the two species each of capybaras and beavers, and the large species of porcupines, reaching about 45 cm in height.

The Chacoan mara has and sometimes still is also considered a member of this genus. However, a 2020 study by the American Society of Mammalogists found significant difference between the two mara species to warrant placing it in the genus Pediolagus.

Etymology

Dolichotis means "long-eared", from Ancient Greek "δολιχός" (dolikhos) meaning "long" and "οὖς" (ous) meaning "ear".

Species

Two extant and two extinct species of in this genus are recognized: ::data[format=table]

Image	Scientific name	Common name	Distribution
[[File:Mara in captivity.jpg	120px]]	Dolichotis patagonum	Patagonian mara
[[File:Pediolagus salinicola 99386371.jpg	120px]]	Dolichotis salinicola	Chacoan mara
::

;Fossil species

• †D. intermedia Ameghino, 1889
• †D. platycephala Ameghino, 1889

Fossils are known from Argentina:

• Montehermosan
  • Andalhuala Formation
• Huayquerian
  • Chiquimil Formation
• Chapadmalalan
  • Barranca de los Lobos Formation
  • San Andrés Formation
• Ensenadan
  • Vorohué Formation
  • Yupoí Formation
• Lujanian
  • Luján Formation

Gallery

File:Patagonian Cavy.jpg|Patagonian mara at the Wildlife Ranch in San Antonio, Texas File:Patagonian Cavies, Melbourne Zoo, Melbourne.jpg|A pair of Patagonian maras at the Melbourne Zoo File:Dolichotis patagonum closeup.jpg|Close-up of a Patagonian mara File:A mara at tropical wings.JPG|Mara at Tropical Wings

References

References

1. {{MSW3 Hystricognathi
2. (2020). "Integrative taxonomy of extant maras supports the recognition of the genera Pediolagus and Dolichotis within the Dolichotinae (Rodentia, Caviidae)". Journal of Mammalogy.
3. {{OED. Dolichotis
4. "''Dolichotis'' Desmarest 1820". Fossilworks.

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