Mammals & Other Wildlife during
FONT Birding & Nature Tours 
in Chile

1991 thru 2007

Land Mammals:

          ARMADILLOS - Family Dasypodidae

1. Pichi  _____
   Zaedyus pichiy
   CH: Pichi
   
   
2. Larger Hairy Armadillo _____
   Chaetophractus villosus
   CH: Quirquincho grande
   
   
   HARES & RABBITS - Family Leporidae
   
   
3. European Hare (i) ______
   Lepus europaeus
   
   
4. European Rabbit (i) ______
   Oryctolagus cuniculus  (the single member of its genus)
   
   
   NEOTROPICAL MICE - Subfamily Sigmodontinae
   
   
5. Darwin's Leaf-eared Mouse _____
   Phyllotis darwini
   
   
6. Narrow-toothed Leaf-eared Mouse _____ 
   Phyllotis limatus
   
   
7. Master Leaf-eared Mouse _____
   Phyllotis magister
   
   
8. Osgood's Leaf-eared Mouse _____  fn  (Andean altiplano in Arica province) 
   Phyllotis osgoodi
   
   
9. Yellow-rumped Leaf-eared Mouse _____  so
   Phyllotis xanthopygus
   
   
10. Southern Big-eared Mouse _____ so
    Loxodontomys micropis  (the single member of its genus)
    
    
11. Bolivian Big-eared Mouse _____ fn
    Auliscomys boliviensis
    
    
12. Andean Big-eared Mouse _____
    Auliscomys sublimis
    
    
13. Garlepp's Mouse _____
    Galenomys garleppi
    
    
14. Altiplano Chinchilla-Mouse _____
    Chinchillula sahamae
    
    
15. Andean Mouse _____
    Andinomys edax  (the single member of its genus)
    
    
16. Chilean Climbing Mouse _____
    Irenomys tarsalis  (the single member of its genus)
    
    
17. Patagonian Chinchilla-Mouse _____  fs
    Euneomys chinchilloides 
    
    
18. Biting Chinchilla-Mouse _____  ca
    Euneomys mordax
    
    
19. Peterson's Chinchilla-Mouse _____
    Euneomys petersoni
    
    
20. Andean Swamp Rat ______
    Neotomys ebriosus  (the single member of its genus)
    
    
21. Bunny Rat _____
    Reithrodon auritus   
    
    
    GUINEA-PIGS & CAVIES - Family Caviidae 
    
    
22. Common Yellow-toothed Cavy _____   (northern Chile)
    Galea musteloides
    
    
23. Southern Mountain Cavy ______ so  (also called Southern Dwarf Cavy, or Least Cavy)
    Microcavia australis
    CH: Cuis Chico, or Cuis de los Salitres 
    
    
24. Montane Guinea-Pig  ______ fn
    Cavia tschudii
    
    
    DEGUS & TUCO-TUCOS - Family Octodontidae  (53 species, mostly in Argentina & Chile)
    
    
25. Coruro  (*)  _____ so (this rare animal was seen during a FONT tour on Chiloe Island)
    Spalacopus cyanus  (the single member of its genus)
    
    
26. Chilean Rock Rat _____  cc
    Pithanotomys fuscus
    
    
27. Sage's Rock Rat _____ (in central Chile in Malleco Province)
    Pithanotomys sagei
    
    
28. Bridges' Degu _____
    Octodon bridgesi
    
    
29. Common Degu (*) _____
    Octodon degus
    
    
30. Moon-toothed Degu _____ 
    Octodon lunatus
    
    
31. Isla Mocha Degu _____
    Octodon pacificus
    
    
32. Mountain Degu (*) _____
    Octodontomys gliroides
    
    
33. Coyhaique Tuco-tuco _____
    Ctenomys coyhaiquensis
    
    
34. Magellanic Tuco-tuco  (*)  _____
    Ctenomys magellanicus
    
    
35. Maule Tuco-tuco _____
    Ctenomys maulinus
    
    
36. Highland Tuco-tuco _____
    Ctenomys opimus
    
    
    SPINY RAT - Family Echimyidae
    
    
37. Coypu  (*)  ______ b  (also known as Nutria)
    Myocastor coypus  (the single member of its genus)
    CH: Coipo
    
    
    MUSKRAT - Family Arvicolinae
    
    
38. Muskrat (i)  (*)  _____ fs (tf)
    Ondatra zibethicus
    
    
    CHINCHILLAS & VISCACHAS - Family Chinchillidae
    
    
39. Short-tailed Chinchilla  (e) (*)  ______ nw
    Chincilla brevicaudata 
    AR: Chincilla Grande, or Chinchilla del Altiplano  
    
    
    
    
    A Short-tailed Chinchilla photographed during a FONT tour in Chle.
    
    
40. Chinchilla (*)  _____
    Chinchilla lanigera 
    
    
    
    
    Chinchilla, photographed during a FONT tour in Chile.
    
    
41. Southern Viscacha (*)  ______ ca  (was called Mountain Viscacha until recently split.)     
    Lagidium viscacia
    CH: Chinchillon Comun, or Vizcachon, or Vizcacha de la Sierra 
    
    
42. Northern Viscacha (*) _____ fn  (was called Mountain Viscacha until recently split.) 
    Lagidium peruanum
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Two photos above of the Mountain Viscacha, both taken during FONT tours. 
    This animal has been seen during our tours in Argentina & Chile.
    It's an odd creature, with a tail like that of a squirrel, and a head like that of a rabbit.
     
    
43. Wolffsohn's Viscacha  _____  (in extreme southern Chile)
    Lagidium wolffsohni 
    CH: Chinchillon anaranjado
    
    
    CHINCHILLA-RATS - Family Abrocomidae 
    
    
44. Bennett's Chinchilla-Rat  ______ cc
    Abrocoma bennettii
    
    
45. Ashy Chinchilla-Rat _____
    Abrocoma cinerea
    
    
    CATS - Family Felidae
    
    
46. Geoffroy's Cat  (*)  _____  fs
    Felis  (formerly Leopardus) geoffroyi
    CH: Gato montes
    
    
47. Colocolo ______
    Felis  (formerly Leopardus) colocolo
    
    
48. Kodkod _____ so
    Felis  (formerly Leopardus) guigna
    CH: Gato huina
    
    
49. Pampas Cat _____
    Felis pajeros
    CH: Gato de pajonal
    
    
50. Andean Cat _____ 
    Felis (formerly Oreailurus) jacobita
    
    
51. Puma _____ 
    Felis  (formerly Puma) concolor
    CH: Puma
    
    
    FOXES - Family Canidae 
    
    
52. Colpeo Fox (*) ______ fs (tf)
    Pseudalopex (formerly Dusicyon) culpaeus
    CH: Zorro Colorado
    (On Tierra del Fuego called "Fuegian Fox", Pseudalopex c. magellanicus) 
     
    
53. Argentine Gray Fox (*)  ______ ca, fs  (this species includes the Pampas Fox) 
    Pseudalopex (formerly Dusicyon) gymnocercus  (includes P. griseus) 
    CH: Zorro Gris, Zorro Patagonico, Chilla
    
    
    OTTERS - Family Mustelidae
    
    
54. Marine Otter _____ 
    Lutra  (formerly Lontra) felina
    CH: Nutria marina
    
    
    SKUNKS & ALLIES - Family Mustelidae
    
    
55. Humboldt's Hog-nosed Skunk (t) (*) ______ fs  (also called Patagonian Hog-nosed Skunk)
    Conepatus humboldti 
    CH: Zorrino Patagonico, Zorrino Austral  
    
    
    BATS - Order Chiroptera
    
    
56. Common Vampire Bats ______ cc
    Desmodus rotundus  (the single member of its genus)
    
    
57. Smoky Thumbless Bat _____  (extreme northwest Chile)
    Amorphochilus schnablii  (the single member of its genus)
    
    
58. Kalinowski's Mastiff Bat ______  (northern Chile)
    Mormopterus kalinowskii
    
    
59. Chilean Myotis  (*)  _____ cc,so
    Myotis chiloensis
    CH: Murcielago oreja de raton 
    
    
    CAMELS - Family Camelidae
    
    
60. Guanaco (*)  ______ fn,fs  
    Lama guanicoe
    CH: Guanaco
    
    
    
    
    A Guanaco photographed during a FONT tour. This animal has been
    seen during our tours in both Argentina & Chile.
      
    
61. Vicuna (v) (*) ______ fn  
    Vicugna vicugna
    CH: Vicuna
    
    
    
    
    Vicunas photographed during a FONT tour. This animal has been seen 
    during our tours in northwest Argentina & in northern Chile.
       
    
62. Llama  (*)  ______ (a domesticated animal)
    Lama glama
    CH: Llama
    
    
63. Alpaca  (*) _____  (a domesticated animal)
    Vicugna pacos
    CH: Alpaca
    
    
    Some Notes about the South American Lamoids
    (the Llama, Alpaca, Guanaco, Vicuna)
    
    There are 4 species of South American Lamoids. 2 are wild (the Vicuna and the Guanaco). 2 are domesticated (the Llama and the Alpaca). In Argentina: 8% of the South American Lamoids, and 96% of the Guanacos. 
    
    Combined there are an estimated 7.7 million of these animals, with 53% in Peru, 37% in Bolivia, 8% in Argentina, and 2% in Chile.
    The domestic Llamas and Alpacas (91% of the total) are far more numerous than the wild Guanacos and Vicunas (9%). Llamas (3.7 million) are slightly more abundant than Alpacas (3.3 million) and Guanacos (575,000) are much more common than Vicunas (85,000).
    Most Alpacas (91%) and Vicunas (72%) are in Peru, and the majority of Llamas (70%) are in Bolivia, and nearly all of the Guanacos (96%) are in Argentina. 
    The Guanaco has been decreasing during recent years due to hunting and competition with livestock. The Vicuna was reduced to a dangerously low population in the 1960's, but the species is now recovering under protection.
    
    
    
    DEER - Family Cervidae
    
    
64. Perrvian Guemal  (v)  (*) ______ fn
    Hippocamelus antisensis  
    CH: Huemal
    
    
    
    
    A Peruvian Guemal photographed during a FONT tour in the Andes in northern Chile.
     
    
65. Chilean Guemal  ______
    Hippocamelus bisulcus
    
    
66. Southern Pudu  (*)  ______ so  (PHOTO AT THE TOP OF THIS LIST) 
    Pudu pudu
    CH: Pudu
    
    
    Marine Mammals:
    
    
    MARINE DOLPHINS - Family Delphinidae
     
    
67. Chilean Dolphin ______   
    Cephalorhynchus eutropia 
     
    
68. Short-beaked Common Dolphin (*)  _____ fn
    Delphinus delphis
    
    
69. Dusky Dolphin ______  fs
    Lagenorhynchus obscurus
    CH: Delfin Oscuro
    
    
    
    
    
70. Peale's Dolphin (*)  ______ fs (tf)
    Lagenorhynchus australis
    CH: Delfin Griseoblanco
    
    
    EARED SEALS - Family Otariidae
    
    
71. South American Sea-Lion (*) ______ so,fs (tf)
    Otaria flavescens  (the single member of its genus)
    CH: Lobo Marino Austral
    
    
72. South American Fur Seal ______ fs (tf)  
    Arctocephalus australis
    CH: Lobo Fino Patagonico 
    
    
    EARLESS SEALS - Family Phocidae
    
    
73. Southern Elephant Seal ______ so
    Mirounga leonina
    CH: Elefante Marino Austral
    
    

Common Dolphin

Other Nature:

In 1992, a probable extra-terrestrial object (a meteorite fragment): Found in the Andes, not far from where the Diademed Sandpiper-Plover was seen. A light-weight, nearly spherical, dark-colored "rock". Upon our return to the U.S., there was an article in "Sky & Telescope Magazine" referring to such objects in that area.

Fossils, of marine life, also found in that region of the High Andes.