Meet the viscacha, an adorable creature that is so cute it almost doesn’t seem real. What’s a viscacha? It’s a small rodent that looks a lot like a rabbit. It’s related to the chinchilla, lives in South America, and is considered a delicious meal in Argentina. Popular Science further describes the creature:
The viscacha lives in the southern Andes mountains, and is closely related to the chinchilla. It’s sometimes known as a long-tailed rabbit, thanks to its long ears and fluffy coat. It moves similarly to a rabbit, on very strong hind legs, hopping around its mountain home to eat a variety of grasses, mosses, and lichens. It lives in colonies, like all members of the chinchilla family, which can widely range in size. It’s not particularly rare; it is sometimes hunted for its meat and fur, but is believed to be holding steady, population-wise.
Here’s a great video of a mountain viscacha that accurately describes the creature as an “adorable furball.” In the video, you can see viscachas chilling, rolling around, sleeping, munching, and running. Check out their tails and giant ears! Their tails curl up when they are resting, but unfurl when they’re anxious. And their half-closed eyes make them look like they’ve been smoking weed. They also have funny long whiskers that make them look like they have handlebar mustaches. Altogether, it’s a yes from me. Cute creature rating: 10/10.
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