Maule tuco-tuco

The Maule tuco-tuco ("Ctenomys maulinus") is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae.
It is found in Argentina and Chile where it occupies several different types of habitats. It is a common species and the IUCN has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern". The common and scientific names refer to a river and region in Chile within its range.
Description.
The Maule tuco-tuco is a medium-sized tuco-tuco, there being two subspecies, "C. m. maulinus" and "C. m. brunneus", the former growing to a total length of and the latter . "C. m. maulinus" is a uniform pale brown colour with a similarly-coloured tail terminating in a white "pencil" or tuft of hair. By contrast, "C. m. brunneus" has a more intense brown colour, with the feet, the underside of the tail and the tail-tip pencil being buff-white.
Distribution and habitat.
The nominate subspecies "C. m. maulinus" is found in Talca Province, Chile while "C. m. brunneus" occurs in Mallecco Province and Cautín Province, Chile, at altitudes between about . More recently, this tuco-tuco has been discovered in Neuquén Province and Río Negro Province in Argentina, but it is unclear which of the two subspecies was involved in these sightings. This tuco-tuco inhabits different habitat types including "Nothofagus" and "Araucaria" woodland and open areas where the soil consists of volcanic sands. The range of this species may overlap that of the social tuco-tuco ("Ctenomys sociabilis").
Ecology.
Like other tuco-tucos, this species is a burrowing rodent that feeds on vegetable matter such as roots and grasses. Two burrows have been excavated and found to extend for . Some food is taken back to the burrow and stored there in special chambers. In a cave in Neuquén Province, Argentina, owl pellets dating back more than 5,000 years have been discovered which contain skin fragments and bones of a large species of tuco-tuco which is probably the Maule tuco-tuco.
Status.
"C. maulinus" has a wide range in Chile and northern Argentina, where it is found at altitudes between about . This tuco-tuco is present in several protected areas and is assumed to have a large total population. No particular threats have been identified and any downward trend in populations is likely to be slow, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".