The plains viscacha is a large rodent, weighing up to 9 kg.
It has an average head and body length over 500 mm, with the tail usually a little less than 200 mm long.
The dorsal pelage ranges from gray to brown, depending upon soil color, and the belly is whitish.
Its head is bulky, and the face is black and white; males have distinctive black mustaches and stiff whiskers.
Their fore feet have four toes, and the hind feet have three toes.
Soft dense fur covers its body, from the tips of its ears to the end of its long, curled tail.
The forelimbs are relatively short, while the contrastingly long and muscular hind limbs enable it run and jump with ease.
The colour of its fur varies seasonally and with age, but generally the upperparts are grey to brown, with tints of cream and black, while the underparts are pale yellow or tan.
The plains viscacha is a large rodent, weighing up to 9 kg. It has an average head and body length over 500 mm, with the tail usually a little less than 200 mm long. The dorsal pelage ranges from gray to brown, depending upon soil color, and the belly is whitish. Its head is bulky, and the face is black and white; males have distinctive black mustaches and stiff whiskers. Their fore feet have four toes, and the hind feet have three toes. Soft dense fur covers its body, from the tips of its ears to the end of its long, curled tail. The forelimbs are relatively short, while the contrastingly long and muscular hind limbs enable it run and jump with ease. The colour of its fur varies seasonally and with age, but generally the upperparts are grey to brown, with tints of cream and black, while the underparts are pale yellow or tan.
Plains viscacha