Patagonian Mara (Dolichotis patagonum) lives in patagonian steppe and desert across Argentina. It feeds on grass and leaves. Its conservation status is Near Threatened.
Fascinating facts about the Patagonian Mara
- Patagonian maras can occupy a single warren with up to twenty-nine breeding pairs, and the pairs may either breed alone or together within these large communal warrens. During the breeding season the adults dig dens where the young are raised, and litters from one to twenty-two pairs are grouped together inside them. This communal nesting allows many families to share a protected space while still maintaining separate parental duties.
- Living in groups helps maras avoid predation, and studies show that young have a higher survival rate when the group is large rather than small. When a pair visits the communal den, they stay for about an hour while the other parents circle the entrance, creating a constant watchful presence. This pattern of rotating visits and surrounding vigilance reduces the chance that predators will succeed, especially against felids, grisons, foxes and birds of prey.
- The mara's anal glands sit between the anus and the tail base. This placement differs from most caviids, whose glands lie in front of the anus.
- When a male mara stands upright on his hind legs and urinates on a female's rump, the female immediately sprays a jet of urine back into his face. Both behaviours become far more common during the breeding season.
- In the Monte Desert, a mara's diet is dominated by monocot plants, which make up about 70 % of what it eats, while dicot species provide the remaining 30 %. It favours grasses such as Chloris, Pappophorum and Trichloris, and also browses dicot shrubs like Atriplex lampa, Lycium and Prosopis. These herbivorous habits focus on green vegetation and fruit, allowing the mara to thrive on the sparse desert flora.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeArgentina
HabitatPatagonian steppe and desert
DietGrass and leaves
About the Patagonian Mara
In the sun-baked steppes of Patagonia, the Mara roams with an air of quiet confidence, its long legs carrying it across the open grasslands with a loping gait that eats up the distance. As it moves, its large ears twitch and swivel, drinking in the sounds of its surroundings, while its sharp eyes scan the horizon for signs of danger, ever vigilant in this land of predators and prey. With its striking coat and powerful build, the Mara is a testament to the enduring spirit of this unforgiving yet beautiful landscape, where only the most resilient creatures can thrive.
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