{"id":2206829,"date":"2026-08-30T06:00:39","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T05:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/?p=2206829"},"modified":"2026-08-29T10:33:52","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T09:33:52","slug":"youre-looking-at-one-of-the-wildest-landscapes-on-earth-and-watching-a-species-that-almost-nobody-has-ever-studied","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/youre-looking-at-one-of-the-wildest-landscapes-on-earth-and-watching-a-species-that-almost-nobody-has-ever-studied\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cYou\u2019re looking at one of the wildest landscapes on Earth and watching a species that almost nobody has ever studied.\u201c"},"content":{"rendered":"

Researchers have uncovered new information about a rare rodent known as the Wolffsohn\u2019s\u00a0viscacha<\/a>, allowing them to reclassify the\u00a0species\u00a0from Data Deficient to Endangered on Argentina\u2019s national Red List.<\/p>\n

The Wolffsohn\u2019s viscacha\u00a0(Lagidium wolffsohni<\/em>) is a relatively large rodent, measuring approximately 470mm from head to rear, with the tail extending up to 305mm. Looking like a cross between a chinchilla and a\u00a0rabbit, it\u2019s easily identifiable by its orange-clay colouration, short black ears and bushy tail.<\/p>\n

The Wolffsohn\u2019s viscacha is only found in the high-altitude Andes of Patagonia in Argentina and Chile, making it exceptionally hard to study. It\u2019s one of South America\u2019s least understood\u00a0species, and until recently, very little was known about its distribution, population and threats.<\/p>\n

A project supported by the\u00a0Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP), a partnership between\u00a0Fauna & Flora,\u00a0BirdLife International\u00a0and the\u00a0Wildlife Conservation Society,\u00a0set out to change that by sending out a team of researchers to study this elusive animal.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started this work because almost nothing was known about the Wolffsohn\u2019s viscacha,\u201d said Morgan Pendaries, co-leader of the research team. \u201cPeople often assume that if a species is classed as Data Deficient it is safe, but that isn\u2019t true. We now know the species occupies a much smaller area than previously thought, faces multiple threats and has disappeared from places where it was recorded in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wolffsohn’s viscacha in the wild.\u00a0Credit: Gonzalo Pardo \/ Conservation Leadership Programme<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The team, co-led by Pendaries and fellow conservationist Lucas Hormachea, surveyed 66 sites across the remote mountains of Patagonia, often working in\u00a0extreme conditions\u00a0without electricity or internet access. One expedition saw them having to break through ice blocking a\u00a0river\u00a0crossing so their vehicle could continue ahead.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were days when we were driving for eight hours through rocky terrain, sleeping in tents for more than two weeks and dealing with freezing temperatures and strong winds,\u201d said Pendaries. \u201cBut then you climb onto a mountain ridge and there\u2019s nobody else for miles. You\u2019re looking at one of the wildest landscapes on Earth and watching a species that almost nobody has ever studied.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Wolffsohn's
Wolffsohn’s viscacha (Lagidium wolffsohni). Credit:\u00a0Gonzalo Pardo \/ Conservation Leadership Programme<\/figcaption><\/figure>
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Clear picture<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The team discovered new colonies of the rodent and evidence of local population declines, forming the first detailed picture of the species\u2019 status.<\/p>\n

The Wolffsohn\u2019s viscacha faces numerous threats \u2013 camera traps deployed near their colonies recorded interactions with invasive European hares and feral dogs. Interviews with locals confirmed that dog predation is an ongoing problem.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s not just other wildlife that\u2019s threatening this elusive rodent. The team determined that Wolffsohn\u2019s viscachas avoid areas popular with mountain climbers, which in turn has shifted some of their range. Another concern is the increasing effects of climate change on the Patagonian Andes ecosystem.<\/p>\n

The scientists also gained new insights into the rodent\u2019s behaviour and ecology.<\/p>\n

\u201cEight years ago, we thought the species was mostly active during the day,\u201d said Pendaries. \u201cNow we know it is far more nocturnal than we realised. Every year we uncover something new.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Patagonian
Patagonian Andes. Credit: Kini Roesler \/ Conservation Leadership Programme<\/figcaption><\/figure>
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More work to do\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Although the Wolffsohn\u2019s viscacha is now listed as Endangered on the Argentina Red List, this does not grant the species automatic protection under local law. To ensure the survival of this elusive rodent, a legislative proposal is being developed to declare it a Natural Heritage Monument in Argentina\u2019s Santa Cruz province. This would protect the species under the country\u2019s National Parks Law, alongside other species such as the deer-like taruca,\u00a0jaguars\u00a0and petrified forests.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the CLP team is working with researchers in Chile to pursue global\u00a0IUCN Red List\u00a0assessment for the species.<\/p>\n

Watch the Wolffsohn’s viscacha in the wild:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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