# Plains viscacha (*Lagostomus maximus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/plains-viscacha  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The plains viscacha (Lagostomus maximus) is a species in the family Chinchillidae, order Rodentia. Recorded adults weigh 4.65 kg to 6.39 kg and live up to 9.41 years. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 4.65 kg – 6.39 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 9.41 years |
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 10.8 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Gestation | 156 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 1.9 – 2 |
| Age at maturity | 8.48 months – 15 months |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1.75 |
| Active | At dawn and dusk (crepuscular) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Rodentia
- family: Chinchillidae
- genus: Lagostomus
- species: *Lagostomus maximus* (Desmarest, 1817)

Synonyms: *Dipus maximus*, *Lagostomus pamparum*, *Lagostomus trichodactylus*, *Viscaccia americana*

## Common questions

### How big is the plains viscacha?

An adult plains viscacha weighs 4.65 kg – 6.39 kg, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

### Is the plains viscacha endangered?

The plains viscacha is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

### How long does the plains viscacha live?

The plains viscacha has a recorded lifespan of 9.41 years.

### How long is the plains viscacha pregnant?

The recorded gestation period is 156 days.

### What kind of animal is the plains viscacha?

The plains viscacha (Lagostomus maximus) belongs to the family Chinchillidae in the order Rodentia.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Plains viscacha (Lagostomus maximus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/plains-viscacha