Tympanoctomys

Tympanoctomys is a genus of rodent in the family Octodontidae. There are three extant species in the genus: T. barrerae,^[2] T. kirchnerorum^[3] and T. loschalchalerosorum.^[4] T. loschalchalerosorum was formerly considered to be monotypic within the genus Salinoctomys, but has been shown by genetic analysis to nest within the variation of T. barrerae.^[4]

Tympanoctomys
Plains viscacha rat, Tympanoctomys barrerae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Octodontidae
Genus:	Tympanoctomys Yepes, 1942[1]
Type species
Octomys barrerae B. Lawrence, 1941
Species
T. barrerae (B. Lawrence, 1941)  T. kirchnerorum Teta et al., 2014  T. loschalchalerosorum Mares, Braun, Barquez & Diaz, 2000  †T. cordubensis (Ameghino, 1889)

All species are endemic to central western Argentina, where the genus has a fragmented range. Their natural habitat is desert scrubland, dunes and salt flats, where they eat halophyte plants. They are solitary, nocturnal rodents that construct large mounds with complex burrows.^[3]