Kerodon
| Kerodon Temporal range: Late Pleistocene - recent | |
|---|---|
| Rock cavy (Kerodon rupestris) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Caviidae |
| Subfamily: | Hydrochoerinae |
| Genus: | Kerodon F. Cuvier, 1825 |
| Type species | |
| Kerodon moco | |
| Species | |
The genus Kerodon (vernacular name mocos; rock cavies) contains two species of South American rock cavies, related to capybaras and guinea pigs. They are found in semiarid regions of northeast Brazil known as the Caatinga. This area has a rocky terrain with large granite boulders that contain rifts and hollows where Kerodon species primarily live.