The Patagonian mara (Dolichotis patagonum)

Mar 09, 2014 Features / Columnists, Interesting Creatures in Guyana

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The Patagonian mara, Dolichotis patagonum, is a relatively large rodent in the mara genus (Dolichotis). It is also known as the Patagonian cavy, Patagonian hare or dillaby. This herbivorous, somewhat rabbit-like animal is found in open and semi-open habitats in Argentina, including large parts of Patagonia. It is monogamous, but often breeds in warrens that are shared by several pairs.
It has distinctive long ears and long limbs. Its hind limbs are longer and more muscular than its forelimbs and it has a longer radius than humerus. The feet are compressed, making them hoof-like. The forefeet have four digits while the hind feet have three. Its tail is short, depressed and almost hairless. It has a grey 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 mara has a head and body length of 69–75 centimetres (27–30 in) with a tail of 4–5 centimetres (1.6–2.0 in). It weighs 8–16 kilograms (18–35 lb). Unlike most other cavids, the anal glands of the mara are between the anus and the base of the tail rather than being anterior to the anus.
Maras prefer sandy and low shrub habitat and are adapted to a cursorial lifestyle on the open plains and steppe, with its long legs, reduced clavicle and well-developed sensory organs making it capable of running and communicating in these open habitats. When running, maras have been compared to deer and antelope and are largely herbivorous. They feed primarily on green vegetation and fruit.
They are primarily diurnal and 46 per cent of daily activities are made of feeding. The temporal activity rhythms of maras are related to environmental factors. Males spend most of the day sitting, being vigilant for predators which can include felids, grisons, foxes and birds of prey. Maras are also hosts for parasites like the nematode worm Wellcomia dolichotis.
The 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 its death. The male has almost the sole responsibility in maintaining the pair by following the female wherever she goes. A male will mark his female with urine and mark the ground around her with secretions from his glands and with faeces, making the grounds around the female a mobile territory. Pairs will breed together alone or with other pairs in warrens shared by up to 29 pairs.
Gestation lasts 100 days in the wild.
Females produce one litter each year in the wild, but can produce as many as four litters a year in captivity. Young can walk almost immediately postpartum.
Dens are dug during the breeding season for the young to be raised. Litters from 1-22 pairs are grouped together in these dens. Communal living provides protection from predators with the survival rate for young being higher in larger groups than in smaller groups. One pair visits the den at a time for around one hour and the other parents will circle around the den.
One to two pups are nursed at a time by a female.  A female may sometimes nurse a young from another pair. While a female may prevent young other than her own from nursing her, some young are able to steal milk. Mothers do not actively cooperate in raising their young.
For the first three weeks, young remain near the den. At this time there is low inter-individual distance, frequent body contact, huddling, grooming and extended play among the pups. After this, the young are able to leave the den and graze with their parents. Young are weaned after 13 weeks.
Maras will make a number of vocalizations during grazing or slow locomotion. When seeking contact, a mara will emit an inflected ‘wheet’ while a low repetitive grunt is made when following a conspecific. Maras tooth chatter and emit low grunts when threatened. They also produce a series of short grunts when grooming.
Maras will stretch and sniff the soil and then sit upright with an arched back and the anogenital area flattened to the ground, a process known as anal digging. In addition, a male will stand on his hind legs and urinate on a female’s rump to which the female will respond by spraying a jet of urine backwards into the face of the male. The male’s urination is meant to repel other males from his partner while the female’s urination is a rejection of any approaching male when she is not receptive. Both anal digging and urination are more frequent during the breeding season and are more commonly done by males.
The Patagonian mara is considered to be a near threatened species.  Their skins have been used for bedspreads and rugs. (Source: Wikipedia – The Free Online Encyclopedia)

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