Fauna of Patagonia: rainforest fauna - Chile

COYPOU - Scientific name: Myocastor coypus.
It is the Chile's greatest rodent. His color is coffee-cinnamon. His tail is long and rounded; his head is triangular with short ears and little eyes. His hind legs have a membrane between the fingers that help him swim. The coypou lives in fresh water (rivers, fertile valleys, lagoons, etc.), all over where there is abundant vegetation, inhabits caves with entrances under water, they reproduce in spring and summer with two childbirth (of 2 to 11 offspring) and it has been intensely hunted due to his valuable skin. 

PUDÚ (Also known as Chilean mountain goat)
Scientific name: Pudu pudu.
Also named deer or little deer. He is a vegetarian mammal, of small size ( 90 cm in length, 40 cm tall). His head is short; the males have 2 horns without ramifications. His hair is long and brown. The pudú inhabits at the forests and it feeds of a great variety of plants. They give birth an only offspring are reddish with stains and whitish lines when are born. 
They are very easily frightened, it is said that if they receive a very strong scare they die from a heart stroke and when they get angry they shiver and they make the hair bristles. 

SOUTHAMERICAN SEA LION (Wolf of one hair) - Scientific name: Otaria flavescens.
Generally males are dark brown colored and females a little clearer, although they might be individuals with other colors. The males measure approximately 2,5 meters and they weight around 520 kilos, while females measure about two meters and they weight less. They have extremities converted with fins, are used to swim rapidly and to move out of water. Sea lions feed themselves on fishes, crustacean, mollusks and occasionally penguins. Each male has two or three females whose pregnancy lasts around a year. The sea lions' only enemies are killer whales and human beings, this last one kills them to make good use of its meat, grease and hide; Or also to avoid them from cutting fishing nets. 

MONITO DEL MONTE - Scientific name: Dromiciops australis.
This animal is one of the few representatives of the marsupials in Chile, it is a little animal similar to a mouse, with a long and hairy tail; It has little ears, a sharp snout, and very large eyes that are useful for seeing at night. It is covered by a thick and soft fur, and colored with yellowish coffee on the sides, and brown in the dorsum. His thumb is in opposition to the other fingers. Lives in the forests and uses its prehensile tail and claws to climb to the top of the trees, it feeds on fruits and insects. After offspring abandon its mother's bag, they begin to live in the fallen trunks, holes or Quila's branches. 

SOUTHAMERICAN FUR SEAL (Wolf of two hairs) Scientific name: Arctocephalus australis.
As its name says, its body is formed by two hair capes: One longer gross and shiny and the other fleecy and thinner than the first one. It is smaller than the South American Sea Lion, it has a smaller bob and its snout is long and sharp-pointed. Due to the indiscriminate hunting, the wolf of two hairs is in danger of extinction. 

PEALE'S DOLPHIN (Also known as Black-chinned Dolphin)
Scientific name: Lagenorhynchus australis.
It measures about 2 meters and approximately weights 115 kilos. Its skin is black or dark gray in the back and white in the belly. There is a gray pale zone from the vertical fin to the eye, which is surrounded by a black or gray dark stain; there is a very thin gray pale stripe, which goes from the eye to the anal zone. His vertical fin has form of sickle and it is in centered position. His snout is short and rounded off. Dolphins are sexually active all year round, its pregnancy lasts 11 months, and at the end, a single offspring is born. 

 
PAMPAS CAT Scientific name: Lynchailurus colocolo.
Inhabits in open forests and steppes. It lives on hares, rabbits and rodents. According to its status of conservation, it is an animal in danger of extinction. 

SKUNK Scientific name: Conepatus chinga humboldtii .
Lives on shrub like zones. His diet is made out of fruits, eggs and little invertebrates.

MOUNTAIN LION Scientific name: Puma concolor.
The biggest cat of Chile. Its body reaches to 190 cm in length and weights from 25 to 100 kg. It has round head, short neck and coarse paws. Its color is variable: from blond, gray yellows to red brown. Only the young ones have stains in the skin.

ANDEAN MOUNTAIN CAT Scientific name: Oreailurus jacobita.
The Andean Mountain Cat is a little but robust cat. The average length of the head and body comes from 92 cm for the males and 63 cm for the females.  

WILDCAT Scientific name: Oncifelis goeffroy .
General gray yellowish coloration, being more obvious in the belly. It shows numerous black little stains in all the body. Its total length goes from 70 to 110 cm. Its weight goes between 4 and 5 kg.

Chingue

Gato montes andino

Our website has been translated into English by non-native speakers, please let us know about any translation error to improve our website.

Photos:1999-2005© Gastón Gallardo & Marcos Gallardo
It is forbidden to copy partially or the whole design without express authorization of K2 webdesign or the photographer
Design and development 1999 - 2005© K2 webdesign All copyright reserved