Red Hocicudo

Fascinating facts about the Red Hocicudo

• In a village study in the Paraná Delta, researchers counted 585 fleas, 2,404 ticks, 2,603 mites and 3,745 lice on the captured red hocicudos.
• When a second survey sampled red hocicudos in a marsh of Buenos Aires Province, 93% of the individuals carried parasites, and scientists identified eight different arthropod species living on them.
• Even alongside the common Azara’s grass mouse, the red hocicudo topped the parasite rankings, showing that some South American rodents endure a hidden burden of hundreds of tiny hitchhikers.

At a glance

About the Red Hocicudo

The red hocicudo (Oxymycterus rufus) is found in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. In the Paraná Delta village, 585 fleas, 2,404 Ixodidae ticks, 2,603 Mesostigmata mites and 3,745 lice were recorded, ranking it alongside the Azara's grass mouse as the most heavily infested rodent. A survey in a marshy area of Buenos Aires Province found that 93% of examined individuals carried parasites, representing eight distinct arthropod species.

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