Lagostomus maximus
Silhouette: Daniel Stadtmauer · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%
The plains viscacha or plains vizcacha (Lagostomus maximus) is a species of viscacha, a rodent in the family Chinchillidae. It is the only living species within the genus Lagostomus. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay. The plains viscacha is the largest species in its family. They construct elaborate burrows that house successive colonies for decades.
The plains viscacha is a large rodent, weighing up to 9 kg. It has an average head and body length over 500 mm, with the tail usually a little less than 200 mm long. The dorsal pelage ranges from gray to brown, depending upon soil color, and the belly is whitish. Its head is bulky, and the face is black and white; males have distinctive black mustaches and stiff whiskers. Their fore feet have four toes, and the hind feet have three toes. Soft dense fur covers its body, from the tips of its ears to the end of its long, curled tail. The forelimbs are relatively short, while the contrastingly long and muscular hind limbs enable it run and jump with ease. The colour of its fur varies seasonally and with age, but generally the upperparts are grey to brown, with tints of cream and black, while the underparts are... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Palmar National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Iberá National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zürich Zoo | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | |
| 2 | Liberec Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 3 | Berlin Zoological Garden | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Granja los Pibes | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 5 | Aquarium Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Plains Viscacha sighting in Iberá National Park on a given day, based on 34 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 8th most-seen of the 13 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February and April
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Plains Viscacha in Iberá National Park on a given day, against about 20% in August and September, the lowest months.
Between 5 and 8 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Plains Viscacha sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Plains Viscacha sightings, Iberá National Park ranks 2nd at about 40%. The best odds are in El Palmar National Park (Argentina, about 80%).
Same order: Rodentia
The closest relatives of the Plains Viscacha that you can see in Iberá National Park (order Rodentia, Rodents) are Capybara (about 80%) and Brazilian Guinea Pig (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Plains Viscacha is recorded against all the mammals logged in Iberá National Park (34 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
