Patagonian mara

The Patagonian mara resembles a jackrabbit. It has a gray dorsal pelage with a white patch on the rump separated from the dorsal fur by a black area. In addition, the mara has a white underside with a somewhat orange flank and chin. The typical Patagonian mara has a head and body length of with a tail of . It weighs . Unlike most other caviids, such as guinea pigs and capybaras, the anal glands of the mara are between the anus and the base of the tail rather than being anterior to the anus. ==Ecology and activity==

Patagonian maras are found only in Argentina, from 28 to 50°S. They prefer to live in habitats with shrub cover, but they also inhabit overgrazed and barren soils in the Monte Desert biome. In northwestern Argentina, they primarily inhabit lowland habitats such as forest and creosote bush or larrea. Maras prefer sandy and low-shrub habitat in Valdes Peninsula. Maras are largely herbivorous. They feed primarily on green vegetation and fruit. In the Monte Desert, monocots make up 70% of their diet, while dicots make up 30%. Preferred grass species eaten are those of the genera Chloris, Pappophorum, and Trichloris, while dicots that are eaten include Atriplex lampa, Lycium spp., and Prosopis spp. Maras are primarily diurnal and around 46% of their daily activities involve feeding. Their temporal activity rhythms are related to environmental factors. Light, precipitation, and temperature have positive effects on annual activities, while darkness and relative humidity have negative effects. The daily activity of maras is unimodal in winter and bimodal in other seasons. Their preferred temperature is around . Females spend more time feeding than the males, due to the demands of gestation and lactation. Males spend most of the day sitting and being vigilant for predators. Predators of maras, particularly the young, are felids, grisons, foxes, and birds of prey. Maras are also hosts for parasites such as the nematode worm Wellcomia dolichotis. ==Social behavior and reproduction==

Their social organizations have a unique combination of monogamy and communal breeding. Being monogamous, pairs of maras stay together for life, with replacement of partners only occurring after one's death. The male has almost the sole responsibility in maintaining the pair by following the female wherever she goes. One or two pups are nursed at a time by a female. Scent marking is used by maras for complex and intense social interactions. ==Status==

- note pup nursing. Patagonian maras are considered to be a near threatened species. Nevertheless, maras have been greatly affected by hunting and habitat alteration and have been extirpated in some areas, including Buenos Aires Province. Mara skins have been used for bedspreads and rugs. ==References==