Ctenomys flamarioni

Flamarion's tuco-tuco or the tuco-tuco of the dunes (Ctenomys flamarioni) is a rodent species of the family Ctenomyidae Its karyotype has 2n = 48 and FN = 50–78. It is endemic to the coastal dunes of Rio Grande do Sul state, southern Brazil. The species is threatened by habitat loss due to dune removal and urbanization. It is named after Brazilian biologist Luiz Flamarion B. de Oliveira. == Distribution == Flamarion's tuco-tuco is an endemic species of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. It inhabits the first line of dunes on the coastal plain of the state, and its distribution extends from Arroio Teixeira beach in Capão da Canoa, on the northern coast, to Chuí, on the border with Uruguay, on the southern coast. == Description == The species has a light coloration and is morphologically more robust than other tuco-tuco species in southern Brazil. This is directly related to the environment the species inhabits, as the coastal dunes have looser, more aerated soil. The dune tuco-tuco is subterranean and solitary, with only one individual per tunnel system. In general, these small rodents live in their underground tunnels and it is not very common for them to leave their…