Mara care basics

What a mara is

The mara, or Patagonian cavy, is a large rodent from Argentina — a cousin of the guinea pig that looks more like a small deer or long-legged hare. Adults weigh around 8–9 kg (about 18 lb) and live roughly 10–14 years in good care.

Diet: a grazer, not a rabbit

Mara are grazing herbivores. Unlimited grass hay and grazing should make up most of the diet, with fresh leafy greens every day.

Add a measured portion of guinea-pig-style pellets. Like guinea pigs, mara need vitamin C in their food. Rabbit food is not a good staple — it lacks that vitamin C. Skip sugary treats, bread and seed mixes.

Housing: big, secure and outdoors

Mara need a large, secure outdoor enclosure with grass to graze and a dry, sheltered den. They can sprint up to about 25 mph, jump surprisingly high and dig, so fencing must be tall, sturdy and buried or skirted at the base.

Give them room to run in a straight line, a heated or insulated shelter in cold weather, and shade in summer. They aren't suited to indoor cages.

Bonded pairs

Mara are monogamous and pair for life. A single mara is a stressed mara — keep a bonded pair. On the Breeding tab, tick “Bonded pair” and pick the mate so your records and family trees show the partnership.

Pups and weaning

Gestation is about 93 days. Litters are usually 2–3 pups, and they are precocial: born furred, eyes open, and on their feet within hours. Pups nurse for about 2–3 months before they're fully weaned.

Use the Breeding tab to log the birth and add each pup as its own animal record, so their parents are filled in automatically.

Early maturity: plan ahead

Females can mature as early as 2–3 months old. Separate or carefully manage young animals so you don't get accidental pregnancies in a daughter or sister.

Weighing

Weigh adults in kilograms or pounds and pups in grams — the weight tracker accepts all three and saves everything in grams. A steady drop over several weigh-ins is worth a call to an exotics vet.

Legal status

Mara are legal in most states and treated much like other pet rodents. Keeping or breeding several can require a game-breeder license, and some states with broad exotic-mammal rules may require a permit. Check the legality lookup for your state.