This rabbity rodent of South America’s grasslands is a common sight in zoos, but has one of the strangest social structures we’ve talked about in mammals. What makes this strictly monogamous-til-death, pair-bonded, troupe-travelling mammal SO antisocial? How does that work, and what else have we been missing all this time? Nicole shares about the Patagonian Mara (Cavy) in this episode of The Best Biome.
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Primary Sources: Photos and more at our site!
- Genest, H. & Dubost, G. (1974). Pair-living in the Mara (Dolichotis patagonum z.). Mammalia 38(2), 155-162. https://doi.org/10.1515/mamm.1974.38.2.155
- Ganslosser, U. & Wehnelt, S. (1997). Juvenile development as part of the extraordinary social system of the Mara. Mammalia 61(1), 3-16. https://doi.org/10.1515/mamm.1997.61.1.3
- Animal Diversity Web. “Patagonian mara”. University of Michigan. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Dolichotis_patagonum/
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