Octodon (oktodon)

[NL., octodont (ok'tō-dont), a. and n. [ II. n. A member of the genus Octodon or the family Octodontida ; an octodon. Octodontidæ (ok-to-don'ti-dē), n . pl . [NL., Oc todon ( Octodont- ) + -ida .] A family of hystricomorphic simplicident Rodent i a , named from the genus Octodon . The family is chiefly Neo tropical, but includes some Ethiopian representatives; it contains a large number of mostly South American rat-like rodents of varied characteristics, some of them spiny. There are 18 genera, contained in the 3 subfamilies Ctenodactylinæ, Octodontinæ, and Ech i no my inæ. See cuts under degu and Habrocoma. Same as octaëchos .