Agouti

An agouti is a type of rodent that lives in the forests of Central and South America, and some Caribbean islands.

They are related to guinea pigs, but they are larger and have longer legs.

They have coarse, glossy fur that can be brown, reddish, orange, grey, or black, with lighter underparts.

Their fur has an agouti pattern, which means that each hair has alternating bands of dark and light color.

They have a large head and rump, but a small tail and ears.

They have five toes on their front feet and three toes on their hind feet, with hooflike claws.

Agoutis are mostly active during the day, and they hide in burrows or hollow logs at night.

They are very fast and agile, and can jump up to two meters high.

They eat mainly fruits, nuts, and seeds, and they sometimes bury them for later use.

They are important seed dispersers for many tropical trees, such as the Brazil nut.

Agoutis can grow up to 76 cm long and weigh up to 6 kg.

They usually have two young per litter, which are born fully furred and can run shortly after birth.

They are preyed upon by jaguars, ocelots, eagles, and snakes.

They are also hunted by humans for their meat and fur.

Some species of agoutis are endangered due to habitat loss and overhunting.

Agoutis belong to the genus Dasyprocta, which has about 12 species.

Some of the most common ones are the Central American agouti (Dasyprocta punctata), the Brazilian agouti (Dasyprocta leporina), and Azara's agouti (Dasyprocta azarae).

They are not to be confused with the pacas, which are larger rodents that belong to a different genus (Cuniculus).