South American rodent found in west Las Vegas parking lot
Animal control officers captured a rodent indigenous to Argentina in a west valley parking lot, a Clark County official said Thursday.
Officers located the Patagonian mara, a South American rodent, at about 3 p.m. in a parking lot near West Sahara Avenue and South Decatur Boulevard, county spokesman Dan Kulin said.
The Patagonian mara was taken to a county animal shelter, Kulin said. Officials do not know who owns the animal, he said.
Patagonian maras are classified as a near-threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
@FOX5Vegas @LVMPD Proud of @LVMPD and animal rescue for saving the kangaroo pic.twitter.com/bf5Wxbh5px
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Clark County does not classify the species as exotic in its county codes, Kulin said.
Contact Rachel Hershkovitz at rhershkovitz@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @rzhershkovitz on Twitter.
Patagonian Mara
The species naturally resides in Argentina, especially in open habitats. Patigonian maras, which resemble rabbits, typically mate for life. The mara's lifespan, in captivity, is about 14 years.
Source: University of Michigan's Zoology Museum website: http:animaldiversity.org.
