This herbivorous, somewhat rabbit-like animal is found in open and semiopen habitats in Argentina, including large parts of Patagonia.

[5] The feet are compressed, making them hoof-like, which contributes to Patagonian maras resembling small ungulates, especially when standing or walking.

They prefer to live in habitats with shrub cover, but they also inhabit overgrazed and barren soils in the Monte Desert biome.

[5] In northwestern Argentina, they primarily inhabit lowland habitats such as forest and creosote bush or larrea.

[9] Females spend more time feeding than the males, due to the demands of gestation and lactation.

[10] Being monogamous, pairs of maras stay together for life, with replacement of partners only occurring after one's death.

[8] Most births in Patagonia occur between September and October, which is before the summer dry season and after the winter rains.

At this time, distance between individuals is low, with frequent body contact, huddling, allogrooming, and extended play among the pups.

[11] When seeking contact, a mara emits an inflected "wheet" while a low, repetitive grunt is made when following a conspecific.

[12] Maras stretch and sniff the soil and then sit upright with an arched back and the anogenital area flattened to the ground,[14] a process known as anal digging.

[1] Historically, maras have ranged from north-central Argentina south almost to Tierra del Fuego.

[15] Nevertheless, maras have been greatly affected by hunting and habitat alteration and have been extirpated in some areas, including Buenos Aires Province.

[5] A population as big as 200 maras lives in the Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve, in the central part of the United Arab Emirates, possibly from escaped pets.

[16] Puig, Silvia; Cona, Monica I.; Videla, Fernando; Mendez, Eduardo (2010).

"Diet of the mara (Dolichotis patagonum), food availability and effects of an extended drought in Northern Patagonia (Mendoza, Argentina)".