Rodents of Chile: a brief appraisal of their conservation status and ecological significance.

ABSTRACT: Rodentia is the most widely distributed, diverse, and numerous order of the class Mammalia. Nevertheless, rodents are poorly studied in terms of their conservation compared to other mammalian orders. Chile has one of the highest rates of extinction risk in the world for mammals (20%), where rodents have the highest risk (32%). The data of threatened rodent species is not comprehensive, as many species are still classified as data deficient. This lack of information could mean that the actual number of threatened species is higher than currently recognized. Using different databases, the biogeography, conservation status, ecological roles of rodent species in Chile are updated and described, and their potential zoonotic implication discussed. Results revealed that rodent species richness is

SUBMITTER: Hernandez-Mazariegos WC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12508768 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature