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Chilean Fauna

The Chilean fauna is as varied as the flora, though less abundant. In the mammalian group, the species which stand out are the puma, an american savage cat; guanaco, related to camels; huemul, pertaining to the family of deers and native to the country; the vizcacha, a rodent with a taste for the rocky places of the mountains and Altiplano; and another deer relative, the smallest of the family, the pudu which is very difficult to observe in the wild.

However, the Chilean fauna isn't limited to the rugged geography of the mountain range, the aridity of the desert or the richness of the southern forests and Patagonia. The long coastline that flanks the west of the country also presents a great variety of species ranging from sea lions, seals, dolphins and otters, to collosal whales in the icy southern waters.

Alpaca (Lama pacos)
	Family: Camelidae
	Distribution: The natural habitat of the alpaca can be found in the Andes, in South America. In Chile it is split up between the regions of Antofagasta, Atacama, and Coquimbo.
	Details: It has a smaller and more curvacious shape than the llama and, in the front, it has a classic tuft of hair, but cannot be differentiated by its color as there are many tones. It exists in two races: the huacaya and the suri, differentiated by the type of wool (the wool from huacaya is opaque, curly and spongy, while the other is limp, silky and glossy). Its color varies between brown, black, gray and white, and it can reach a height of 1.50 mts. (5ft) with a weight as much as 64 kg. (140lbs). Unlike the llama, this animal is not used as a load animal. However, it is valued by its wool, from which blankets and native ponchos are made. It has been domesticated since thousands of years and it is common for the indigenous people of the highlands of Peru and Chile to keep them in herds.
Chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera)
	Family: Chinchillidae
	Distribution: In a wild state, it can be found in Aucó, near Illapel (4th region), in Las Chinchillas National Reserve and in La Higuera, 100 km. North from Coquimbo. Its common habitat is found in mountainous zones, in dry and rocky terrains.
	Details: The chinchillas reaches about 26 cm. in length and 750 grams in weight. They have enormous, mysterious eyes and large whiskers that act as a guide during their numerous nocturnal voyages. Their bodies are small and pudgy, and their back legs are longer and more developed that the front ones. Though its scientific name suggest the contrary, this animal does not have wool but a fur that is long, thick and incredibly soft. This rodent have gray and white colors, with black stripes. Chinchillas feed from more than 24 botanic species, specially herbs and grasses but apparently they don't drink anything in their wild state. Unlike other rodents, these are long-lived animals that can endure up to 15 years.
Chingue (Conepatus chinga)
	Family: Mephitidae
	Distribution: Lives between the 5th and 10th regions, up to 2.500 m. in altitude, above sea level. The natural habitat corresponds to terrains with mounds, trees, bushes and, specially, loose earth.
	Details: The Chingue is a kind of Latin American skunk that measures about 70 cm (2.3 ft) in length. Its body is stocky but thinner by its tail, with a prominent and elongated snout, attentive ears, and short legs with powerful claws. Its fur is long and dense, of a black color on the back and head, with white stripes that run along its body, in both sides, from head to tail. It is nocturnal, generally by itself, and lives in caves that can find and occupy, or steal from other animals. It has powerful anal glands under the tail that produce a characteristic and fetid defensive liquid, which irritates the eyes and penetrates the skin and clothes. It feeds from invertebrates, little vertebrates, eggs and some vegetals.
Coatímundi (Nasua nasua)
	Family: Procyonidae
	Distribution: Found in Juan Fernández Archipelago. It lives in jungle or humid semi-jungle environments, or close to bodies of water.
	Details: The coati is a carniverous mammal that is particularly of soft brownish-gray skin and great sense of smell. It has a long non-prehensile tail with white rings. Measures between 41 and 64 cm. from head to the tip of the tail, and the latter can reach 60 cm. This animal weights between 3 and 8 kg. and males can double the size of females. It's diet comprehends small animals, fruits and eggs. The coatí was originally introduced to hunt mice that arrived to the islands with the first incoming ships. Yet, they ended up eating baby animals and chicks from the De Filippi's Petrel species ("Fardelas") in the area. They are now considered a plague.
Coypou (Myocastor coypus)
	Family: Myocastoridae
	Distribution: Lives from the Elqui to Malleco Regions (4th and 9th), from the sea level up to 1.100 m in altitude. Found in fresh water areas: swamps, meadows, rivers on flat zones, lagoons, riversides and wet areas where there's always a lot of acquatic vegetation like reed mace.
	Details: The coipo is the largest rodent in the country, measuring between 40 to 60 cm. in length, plus a tail of 30 to 45 cm, and weighing between 5 and 9 kg. It's an acquatic animal just like the beaver. However, instead of having a paddle-shaped tail, the coypou has a long and rounded tail, just like a mouse. Its paws have membranes that allow it to swim. Builds subterranean refuges and floating platforms that uses for shelter, feeding and rest.
Colocolo (Felis colocola)
	Family: Felidae
	Distribution: Found in the regions of Tarapacá (1st), from Coquimbo (4th) to Concepción (8th) and from Aysén (11th) to Magallanes (12th). Lives from sea level to 4,500 and 4,900 meters in the Altiplano.
	Details: Savage cat native to South America. Very similiar to cats but measures 70 cm in length and has a 35 cm. tail. Its color is leaden red, with long, reddish or grey spots on the back and little lines from neck to shoulders. On the paws and partially on the tail there are little brown stripes. It's head is short and wide and it has a very slender body.
Cururo (Spalacopus cyanus)
	Familia: Octodontidae
	Distribution: It exists in three sub-species: the Spalacopus cyanus cyanus, from Caldera (3rd Region) to Curicó (7th Region); the Spalacopus cyanus poeppiggi, in the Curicó mountain; and the Spalacopus cyanus mauiinus, on the coastal area of Ñuble (8th Region). It lives in savannas of loose earth of great vegetal cover, from the sea level to 3400 m. in altitude.
	Details: It's a rodent species endemic to Chile and unique in its genre. The shape of the Cucurro's body is cylindrical, with a small tail, ears, and eyes. Its paws have large claws, and its mouth has large incisor teeth. The color of its coat is black, with short smooth fur. Lives in colonies of up to 15 individuals. It feeds from vegetable bulbs and its predated by birds and Lesser Grison. The subspecies Spalacopus cyanus poeppiggi is in danger of extinction.
Degú (Octodon degus)
	*Family:* Octodontidae
	Distribution: Between Huasco (III región) and Curicó (VII región), from sea level to 1,800 m. in altitude. Lives in galleries protected by bushes of hawthorn, Lithraea caustica or "quilo".
	*Details:* Rodent similar to a mouse. It has a tail with long hairs in the form of a paintbrush at the end. Its head is large with very developed ears and eyes. Its fur is not silky but rather firm, of a yellowish brown color on the back and of white in the ventral part. It has diurnal habits and settles colonies of hundreds of individuals underground, though the family group is made of a male and three females. It feeds from roots, barks, microflora and seeds of hawthorn. They escape from the heat, thus avoiding feeding in the afternoon.
Guanaco (Lama guanicoe)
	Family: Camelidae
	Distribution: It inhabits the Altiplano, from Tarapaca to Antofagasta, and some refuges in the central and southern areas, in Aysen and Magellan.
	Details: It's a camel from the same family of the llama and alpaca. The guanaco measures 1.9 m. in altitude and can weigh up to 150 kg. Its fur is thick but light and, similar to the vicuña, the fiber from which it is made up is hollow. Colors vary between light brown and dark red, the latter being the most common. It has a grey complexion and small ears. It's a social animal, with a family group made up of a male and several females, or groups of males with distinct ages. The guanacos have only one predator, the puma, and they are capable of running at 50 km/h to flee from it. Just like any camelid, its defense mechanism consist of throwing part of its bolus, spitting it on the attacker.
Kodkod (Felis guigna)
	Family: Felidae
	*Distribution:* Found from Coquimbo (4th Region) to Aysén (11th Region) including Chiloé Island and the Guaitecas, from sea level to the limits of vegetation. Exists in two subspecies: the Leopardus guigna guigna, which inhabits the South of Chile, and the Leopardus guigna tigrillo, that roams the Central Valley. It can be found specially in sclerophyll forest like the Valdivian jungle.
	Details: It is smallest savage cat in America, reaching a length of 45 cm. with a tail of 20 cm., and a weight between 2 and 2.5 kg. Its fur color is generally yellowish, but it also can be very dark. It has round spots, blonde lines on its head combined with dark rings on its tail. The kodkod is a nocturnal hunter, with arboreal habits, that feeds on rodents, marsupials, partridges, pigeons and insects. This animal is very scarce and, at present, it's being protected by Chile and Argentina.
Huemul (Hippocamelus bisulus)
	Family: Cervidae
	*Distribution:* Ñuble (8th Region), Chiloé continental (10th Region), Aysén (11th Region) and Magallanes (12th Region), from approximately 450 to 1300 m. In the past, this species could be found from Cachapoal (8th Region), onwards.
	*Details:* Chilean deer featured in our national shield. The body of the males reaches a length of 163 cm, height of the withers of 90 cm, and a short tail between 10 and 20 cm. Its weight is between 40 and 100 kg. The females are a little smaller. Has long ears (20 cm) with large, extended glands, in front of the eyes. Only the males have horns with two points. Its fur is thick and dense with a skin color that varies according to seasons between a dark brown to a lighter brown or yellow with grey stripes. In the anal and inguinal it has a white color. In the internal ears, outside the eyes and in the nose it has greyish color. The huemul is a scarce, little seen animal, in a constant danger of extinction.
Mouse opossum (Marmosa elegans)
	Family: Didelphidae
	*Distribution:* Between Elqui (4th Region) and Valdivia (10th Region), from sea level near to 2,000 m. in altitude. It abounds in arboreal and jungle environments.
	Details: This little Chilean opossum looks like a little mouse but with a long, prehensile tail, long and pointed snout, sharp teeth, large ears, and dark spot around the eyes. The body is covered by a silky, thick fur, grey on its back and very light on its stomach. They feed from insects, meat, carrion, eggs and vegetal material. In spite of being a marsupial, the female lacks the pouch and its teats are located in the abdominal region.
Llama (Lama glama)
	Family: Camelidae
	Distribution: Lives in the high plane, in the regions of Tarapacá (I) and Antofagasta (II), from 2.300 to 4.000 m. Larger populations are found in Bolivia, Peru, Argentina, Ecuador, and Colombia
	Details: It is an animal which can become taller than the guanaco. The male height is between 109 and 119 cm, weight between 130 and 155 kg. It has short feet and is distinguishable by the pointed ears that curve inward. The most common color is redish brown almost uniformly over the body, the face and the ears; the feet are black. There are black and white llamas as well.
Pudú (Pudu pudu)
	*Family:* Cervidae
	Distribution: Lives in trees and dense thickets, from Curicó to Aysén, and also in Chiloé where it is more abundant
	*Details:* The Pudu is the smallest of the deer’s in America. Its size is 40 cms (16 in) tall, and weighs approximately 10kg (22lbs). They are herbivores and ruminants, and their diet is mostly all herbivorous. Females give birth to babies whose color is a redish-brown, with whitish streaks on the back and the thigh, that disappear after their first three months of life. The animal is characterized as being very timid and faint-hearted, leaving only at night to look for food. The indiscriminant hunting of the animal has made them a species in serious risk of becoming extinct.
Puma (Felis concolor patagonica)
	Family: Felidae
	*Distribution:* In the mountainous areas from Arica to Magellan.
	*Details:* Large feline, can be as long as 2.8 meters and weigh 80 kg. Lives in the mountainous regions and in dense forests. Feeds on guanacos (in the llama family), birds, and rodents.
Little grison (Galictis cuja)
	Family: Mustelidae
	*Distribution:* Arica (I region), between Coquimbo (IV region) and Magellan (XII region), from sea level to 3,800 m.
	Details: In Chile there are 2 subspecies. It is a Mustelidae with a long body and a short tail, plantigrade, with bare soles of the feet, with glands that, at one year of age, produce a foul-smelling liquid. It is yellow to grey mixed with black. Also, typically, a white stripe crosses from its head to its neck.
Quirquincho de la Puna (Euphractus nationi)
	Family: Dasyponidae
	Distribution: Tarapacá (I region) and Antofagasta (II region) over 3,000 m.
	Details: Its shell is level and with hairs that are implanted between the ribs of the shell. It has large ears, a nasal snout with little bone plates, hands with large claws on its four figners. Its body is yellowish grey.
Vicuña (Vicugna vicugna)
	Family: Camelidae
	Distribution: From Tarapacá (I region) to Atacama (III region), from 3,700 m to 4,800 m. This species is abundant in Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina..
	*Details:* Height of the male between 86 and 96 cm, and weighs between 45 and 55 kg. Has a long neck, thin feet, and slender figure. The chest hairs form a frayed mat that hangs to its knees. The body is a uniform light cinnamon color, and the frayed edges of the mat hairs and those of the stomach are white.
Vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia)
	*Family:* Chinchillidae
	*Distribution:* From Arica (I region) to Ultima Esperanza (XII region) from 600 to 5,000 m..
	*Details:* Has a beautiful long, thick fur, a small body and enormous tail with long hair. Has large auricular ears, very developed rear legs, and small front limbs. This animal is a yellowish color in the north of Chile and is greyish in the southern region. Its ventral region is lighter than the back and generally has a black band in the middle of its back.
Culpeo Fox (Dusicyon culpaeus)
	Family: Canidae
	Distribution: In all of Chile.
	Details: Small canid with yellowish fur and wide tail with black point, 80 to 120 cm length including the tail, and weighs up to 4 kg. Preys on rodents, hares, lizards, birds, and young lambs.