L. peruanum Skull Replica measures 3.0 inches. L. peruanum Skull Replica is museum quality polyurethane cast. 2-part skull (separate cranium & jaw). Made in USA. Known as Northern viscacha. Our precise skull can be used as a teaching tool, museum skull exhibit, home decor skull, or office decor skull.
The Northern viscacha or L. peruanam grows to a head and body length of 12 to 18 in. with a bushy tail nearly as long which can be curled in a coil. The adult weight is between 32 and 56 oz.
Its long ears are furry and its body fur is dense and soft, but the tail has coarser hairs. The dorsal surface ranges from dark grey at lower altitudes to brown at higher elevations. The ventral surface is cream or pale grey and the tip of the tail is reddish-brown or black.
The L. peruanam is native to central and southern Peru and northern Chile, and may also be present in the area around Lake Titicaca in Peru and Bolivia. Its altitude range extends from 980 to 16,400 ft. above sea level.
L. peruanum makes its home in crevices in the rock and is found in various habitats where suitable rocky outcrops are found.
The L. peruanum is more often found on larger, steeper portions of cliffs. This preference is probably driven by a need to avoid predators, as land-based carnivores are more easily evaded on a steep slope.
L. peruanum rarely ventures far from rocks, as these provide a means of escaping from both aerial and terrestrial predators. The northern viscacha rarely has more than 50 yards of open ground between its colony and water.
Most populations of L. peruanam occur between the tree line and the snow line, but the distribution is patchy with the animal being common in some localities and absent in others even though the habitat seems equally suitable.
The L. peruanam is a herbivore and feeds on a variety of plant material, including grasses, roots, and seeds.
Breeding usually takes place during October and November. A litter usually consists of a single pup born after a gestation period around 140 days. The young is weaned when about 8 weeks old.
L. peruanam is preyed on by the Andean mountain cat, the colocolo, and the culpeo in high-altitude desert regions.
Northern viscachas are gregarious and communicate using warning whistles. Vicuna will search for threats upon hearing the northern viscacha’s whistle. The bolivian big-eared mouse will sun and feed alongside northern viscachas on occasion.
The Northern Viscacha or L. peruanam is common within suitable habitat in its range. The population size is relatively stable, and although it is hunted locally for food, no other significant threats have been identified, so the IUCN lists the species as being of Least Concern in its Red List of Threatened Species.
