Central American Agouti | Dasyprocta punctate

The Central American Agouti belongs to the rodent family and is a relative of the guinea pig. Its distribution ranges from Chiapas in Southern Mexico, through Central America, to Colombia, Ecuador and far western Venezuela. Agoutis are a diurnal species and live in monogamous pairs. They are found in rainforests, savannas, cultivated areas and thick brush, and mainly feed on fruits and seeds. They are important for dispersing seeds of plants.

Agoutis weigh about 3 to 4.2 kg and are reddish, orange or yellowish in color grizzled with black. They sit on their hind legs while holding food between their front paws. These animals are one of a few species that can crack the shell of nuts with their teeth. They find more nuts than they can eat at once, and then bury the rest. Mostly not all hiding places for food storage are new and forgotten. After a gestation period of about 3 months, a female gives birth to a litter of 1 to 2 cubs in burrows lined with leaves, roots and hair. Agoutis are considered as nest breeders, so their young are fully developed and born with open eyes. During the early stages of development, the babies stay hidden in the burrows.

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