Species of the Week - Patagonian Mara

By Rachel Shaw | Posted on July 9, 2009

The long-legged mara is one of the world’s largest rodents.

Source: JanAnneO

Patagonian maras stand about two feet tall on slender legs, making them the largest rodent after beavers and capybaras (whom they slightly resemble).  Although they have claws instead of hooves (four on the front feet, three on the back) they are deerlike in their gaits and feeding preferences.  Animals of the Argentine grasslands and scrublands, mara favor herbs and grasses, though their diet includes a wide variety of vegetation.  They live in burrows when not basking in the sun, eating, competing with other adults, or caring for their young.

Maras mate for life, in monogamous pairs within a larger community.  Once paired, maras spend most of their time with their partners.  Although the males are hierarchical and will fight for dominance, maras are not territorial and live in groups, which can become quite large.  (Groups of up to seventy animals have been observed migrating together in search of seasonal food sources.) Indeed, maras are unusual in that up to fifteen mated pairs place their kits in a communal den.  Mara mothers will cry shrilly near the den, and all of the kits will emerge.  While her male partner keeps the other adults away, the mother will locate her own kits by scent and nurse them.  When she is done, she and her mate will move off, allowing the next pair of parents to approach the den.  Mara breed up to three times a year, producing litters of one to two kits.  Female kits reach sexual maturity within two to three months, while the males require six months.  (Perhaps this discourages littermates from pairing up?)

Patagonian maras do well in captivity; indeed some people keep them as pets.  Pet maras must be socialized when young, however, and such socialization must be continued throughout the animal’s life; adult maras who are not given sufficient attention may revert to their more typical aloofness around humans.  This adaptability is valuable, as wild maras are currently in danger of needing Threatened status.  Threats to their habitat from agriculture and development, and competition for browse from introduced sheep and rabbits, are the main threats to mara populations.