Rodent on every continent except Antarctica. They are the only terrestrial placental mammals to have colonized Australia and New Guinea without human intervention. Humans have also allowed the animals to spread to many remote oceanic islands (e.g., the Polynesian rat). Rodents have adapted to almost every terrestrial habitat, from cold tundra (where they can live under snow) to hot deserts. Some species such as tree squirrels and New World porcupines are arboreal, while some, such as gophers, tuco-tucos, and mole rats, live almost completely underground, where they build complex burrow systems. Others dwell on the surface of the ground, but may
Asháninka arboreal chinchilla rat Asháninka arboreal chinchilla rat The Asháninka arboreal chinchilla rat ("Cuscomys ashaninka") is a large species of chinchilla rats from the Andes of far northern Cusco in Peru. It was first scientifically described in 1999. The first specimen of this species was discovered by Dr. Louise Emmons, a researcher of the Smithsonian Institution from Washington, D.C., who found it by chance while climbing in the Vilcabamba Mountains near Machu Picchu. Emmons named the genus after the city of Cusco, and she named the species for the Asháninka people who live in Peru. The animal has grey fur, with a white nose