Researchers Reclassify Wolffsohn’s Viscacha as Endangered in Argentina
Researchers have gathered new information about the Wolffsohn’s viscacha, a rare rodent found in the high-altitude Andes of Patagonia in Argentina and Chile, leading to its reclassification from Data Deficient to Endangered on Argentina’s national Red List. This reclassification is a result of a project supported by the Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP), which involved surveying 66 sites across remote Patagonian mountains. The team, co-led by Morgan Pendaries and Lucas Hormachea, discovered new colonies and evidence of local population declines. They also gained new insights into the rodent's behavior, determining it is more nocturnal than previously thought. Threats to the species include interactions with invasive European hares and feral dogs, avoidance of areas popular with mountain climbers, and the increasing effects of climate change on the Patagonian Andes ecosystem. 
