Chinchilla!!
Found in the Citadel of Machu Picchu, Chinchillas run freely through the stoned walls and pathways.
This “Cuscomys Oblativa” resides only at the Machu Picchu ruins. So truly a foreign and rare sight to see.
Categories: Foot Prints, Peru and the Inca Trail
Emily Carter ~ Nature as Art 
Beautiful shot!
I think these are Viscacha though: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viscacha. Chinchilla are found in the wild only in Chile apparently!
http://vertebrates.si.edu/msw/mswCFApp/msw/taxon_browser.cfm?msw_id=6488&CFID=9866200&CFTOKEN=46405405
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuscomys_oblativus
The Chinchilla in Machu Picchu are unique and all of the guides refer to them as Chinchillas. A very close cousin to the Viscacha. Thanks!
Apologies if I was mistaken. I thought they were extinct in Peru. The ears looked different as well.. But I know Wiki isn’t always right 🙂
It is so close to be able to tell the difference. I think the Vischacha’s ears are a little longer. You would think they would have grabbed one to test it to figure out the true genus right?
Absolutely 🙂
Lovely creature. 🙂
He is cute isn’t he? I hadn’t realized that this little guy only lives in Machu Picchu until I posted this. Pretty neat.
The left ear is smaller than the right one… 🙂 😉
LOL ! It is Drake ! Think he got into a fight.
Loving your photo – Happy Weekend:)
Thanks Renee, hope you have a wonderful weekend too.
WOW! Adorableness….
A chinchilla in a citadel. Remarkable.
Adorable!!!
Seems I’m a bit late here, but the animal is neither a chinchilla nor a Cuscomys oblativa (which would be different animals by themselves), but clearly a Northern Mountain Viscacha or simply Northern Viscacha (Lagidium peruanum). This species occurs widely in Peru, not only in Machu Picchu.
As Madhu correctly pointed out, Chinchillas became extinct in Peru, more than fifty years ago. Cuscomys oblativa is in fact only known from Machu Picchu, but only from bones several hundred years old, which were excavated there. There are no reports of anybody having seen this animal alive since the days of the Incas! It may well be extinct.
Guides all over the world like to make their stories a little bit more exciting than they actually are…
Wikipedia on the other hand is perfectly right here.
I do not even know the way I stopped up right here, but I assumed this post was great.
I don’t know who you might be however certainly you are going to a famous blogger for those who aren’t already.
Cheers!