NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Mendozan Chinchilla Rat
Abrocoma vaccarum Thomas, 1921
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Punta de Vacas chinchilla rat (Abrocoma vaccarum), also known as the Mendozan chinchilla rat, is a species of chinchilla rats in the family Abrocomidae. Found only in Argentina, this species was once thought to be part of Abrocoma cinerea. In 2002, Braun and Mares from the University of Oklahoma confirmed it to be a separate species.
This species prefers to live on rocky cliff faces and is found most frequently in an area 1,880 m above sea level.
Wikipedia contributors, Punta de Vacas chinchilla rat; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T10:11:24.539841+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Abrocoma vaccarum Thomas, 1921
- Name authority
- Thomas, 1921
- Common name
- Mendozan Chinchilla Rat
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Rodentia
- Family
- Abrocomidae
- Genus
- Abrocoma
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderRodentia Bowdich, 1821
- suborderHystricomorpha Brandt, 1855
- infraorderHystricognathi Brandt, 1855
- familyAbrocomidae Miller & Gidley, 1918
- genusAbrocoma Waterhouse, 1837
- speciesAbrocoma vaccarum Thomas, 1921
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Abrocoma. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Bennett's Chinchilla RatAbrocoma bennettii Waterhouse, 1837 | AbrocomidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Ashy Chinchilla RatAbrocoma cinerea Thomas, 1919 | AbrocomidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=825341 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:8LZN. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.