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Caviidae Family
The Caviidae is a family of rodents that occurs over most of South America. It includes two subfamilies: the Caviinae, the cavies and the familiar guinea pigs; and the Dolichotinae, the Patagonian hares or maras. There are a total of five genera and fourteen species of caviids. [eng]
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Microcavia: Mountain Cavies
Population size in a given area varies substantially, depending on reproductive activity and movements. Average density during one year of study was calculated at 24/ha. Mean home range was 7,720 sq meters for males and 3,525 sq meters for females. The ranges of males overlap those of both other males and females. [eng]
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Caviidae: Cavies and Patagonian "Hares"
Caviids occur in habitats ranging from marshy, tropical floodplains to dry, rocky meadows at elevations of up to 4,000 meters. They live in a wide variety of habitats--open grasslands, dry steppes, forest edges, swamps, and rocky mountainous areas (Woods 1984). None of these rodents hibernates, even when living at high altitudes and/or when temperatures are very low. The diet consists of many kinds of plant material. [eng]
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