[OC] South American Herbivores - Post Holocene

[u/Crowned-Whoopsie]

15 Million Years P.H. - The Early Neocene - Chappies, Buckbunnies and Chuckers:

As North and South America split In the Neocene, they would both develope a very different biota to one another.

This Is also the case for their large Herbivores, since I have already shown off the North American Herbivores, Im gonna showcase the South American ones here.

Instead of the giant Ground Squirrels called Sciubaras which are found In North America, South America would have crowned another rodent as their large grazers.

South America Is home to the Chappies, which may look like Capybaras, but are Instead just close relatives of them.

These are giant Guinea Pigs that managed to survive the end Holocene Extinction and claimed the large grazer niche.

Guinea Pigs were widely spread through South America, which also has something to do with humans popularly keeping them as pets.

Similiarly to North America, South America would also create Its own lineage of large browsing Rabbids called Buckbunnies.

They arent very different to their northern cousins, they altough have a unique trait that the Rabbilopes dont have, which are their keratinized, hoof-like toes.

The last lineage of big Herbivores for the day are the Chuckers, who are the only large Herbivorous Reptiles outside of Autralia. (We will cover those soon enough as well!)

Chuckers are descendants of the desert-dwelling Chuckwalla, who would grow much larger as South America became greener.

While they are fairly oppurtunistic, they mainly use their strong front limbs and broad claws to dig up roots and tubers.