Chacoan mara the capybara, and guinea pigs. Chacoan maras are closely related to the other member of the genus "Dolichotis", the Patagonian mara. Maras are the fourth largest rodent in the world after the capybaras, beavers and porcupines . Though the mara may look like a rabbit, the rabbit is not actually a rodent and therefore not as closely related to the mara as one might expect. Chacoan mara The Chacoan mara, Dolichotis salinicola, is a relatively large South American rodent of the cavy family. They are a close relative of the better known Patagonian mara. The Chacoan mara lives in the
Guinea pig South America, to make the raising of guinea pigs as livestock more economically sustainable. The variety of guinea pig produced by La Molina is fast-growing and can weigh . All the large breeds of guinea pig are known as "cuy mejorados" and the pet breeds are known as "cuy criollos". The three original lines out of Peru were the "Perú" (weighing by 2 weeks), the "Andina", and the "Inti". Andean immigrants in New York City raise and sell guinea pigs for meat, and some South American restaurants in major cities in the United States serve "cuy" as a delicacy. In