140 THE LIVING ANIMALS 
OF THE WORLD 
= ma 
: Photo by ‘4. S. Rudland ® Sons 2 
PACA, OR SPOTTED CAVY 
The pacas are among the larger rodents, found mainly in the northern part of 
the South American region 
beautiful creature of the high Andes from which chinchilla fur is taken. 
CHILLA is about 10 inches long, and the SHoRT-TAILED CHINCHILLA rather smaller. 
site fur is well known. 
creatures are found on the Andes. 
Two other chinchillas are more like hares in appearance. 
shoulders and back by a crest of long 
spines, varying from 12 to I§ inches in 
length. The tail also carries spines 
VISCACHAS AND CHINCHILLAS. 
On the plains of La Plata the com- 
monest large rodent is the Viscacna. It 
assembles in societies like the prairie-dogs, 
but is a much larger animal, from 18 inches 
to 2 feet long. Viscachas always set a 
sentinel to give warning of danger. They 
cut every kind of vegetable near and drag 
them to their holes; they also have a 
habit of picking up and collecting round 
the burrows any object which strikes them 
as curious. Articles lost by travelers, even 
whips or boots, may generally be found 
there. The viscacha belongs to the chin- 
chilla family, but differs much from the 
The Common CuIn- 
The exqui- 
All four 
THE AGUTIS AND Pacas. 
South America also produces a family of rodents not unlike small pigs, but nearer to the 
mouse-deer in general appearance; they are called AcuTis. 
Mainly forest animals, but living 
also in the plains, they feed on grass, leaves, and plants of all kinds; they are very swift in their 
movements, and have much the habits of the small South African bucks. 
or chestnut-coloured, and thick. 
The Pacas are allied to the agutis, but are stouter; they live either in burrows made by 
The pacas are spotted and 
themselves, or in holes in the banks of rivers, or in old tree-roots. 
rather ornamentally marked; they are found from 
Ecuador to Brazil and Paraguay. 
Tue CAvIES. 
The Drnomys, a spotted rodent known by one 
example from Peru, has been thought to form a link 
between the pacas and the cavies, of which the guinea- 
pig is the most familiar and the aquatic capybara the 
largest. The original of our guinea-pig is believed 
to be the ResTriess Cavy, a small rodent common on 
the plains of La Plata. It is dark blackish, with 
yellowish-gray and white hairs of the domesticated 
species; and it is suggested that the original of the 
present name was “ Guiana pig.” This cavy lives in 
thickets rather than in forests or plains. 
The Pataconian Cavy is a larger form, about 
twice the size of our hare. It burrows in the ground, 
and has a gray coat, with yellowish markings on the 
sides. It has been acclimatised successfully in France 
The fur is long, olive- 
Photo by York & Son] 
PACAS, 
This photograph, which represents young animals, shows in 
great perfection the linear arrangement of the stripes 
[Notting Hill 
OR SPOTTED CAVIES 
