Animal Fact Sheet
BRAZILIAN AGOUTI
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Dasyproctidae
Genus: Dasyprocta
Species: leporina
Male: male
Female: female
Young: baby
Group: group
Credit: Zoo Staff
Description:
Agoutis are medium sized rodents with large heads and plump bodies. Their
coloring ranges from a brown-black-grey to reddish- orange with darker spots on
their backs. Their hair is course and glossy. They have longer, orange-red hairs on
their rump. The under parts are lighter with a white stripe down the middle. Agoutis
have small ears, and a very tiny black stump of a tail. Their forelegs are shorter than
the hind legs. They have four toes on their front feet and three on their hind feet.
They walk up on their toes (digitigrade). Both male and female agoutis look similar.
Size:
They measure up to 2 feet long and weigh up to 12 pounds. Females are slightly
larger than males.
Life Span:
There are no definite data for this species, but closely related agoutis can live up to
15-20 years in captivity. Males tend to have shorter life spans than females.
Diet:
In the Wild: They eat fruits, vegetables, seeds and plants. They are the only mammal
known to be able to open the husks of the brazil nut.
At the Zoo: apple, yam, broccoli florets, banana, carrot, corn on the cob
Geographic
Range:
The agouti is native to the northern part of South America and south to the Brazilian
Amazon. It is native to Venezuela, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, central Brazil
and Trinidad and Tobago. It was introduced to Dominica, Grenada and U.S. Virgin
Islands.
Habitat:
Agoutis are found in a variety of tropical and terrestrial habitats. They prefer
rainforests with good undergrowth cover, particularly near fallen logs and streams,
rivers, or swamps. They can occasionally be found in gardens and crop fields.
Reproduction:
Agouti pairs are monogamous. Agoutis have a gestation period of between 104-120
days. Usually, 1-3 precocial (fully furred with good eyesight and able to run) young
are born in nests built of leaves, roots and hair. They tend to stay with their parents
for about 5 months.
Behavior:
Agoutis often live in pairs or small groups. They are active during the day especially
at dawn and before dusk. Agoutis are nervous and always on the lookout for danger.
Males generally inhabit more open areas while females tend to stay under cover.
Agoutis have a wide territorial range that can shift according to food availability.
They respond to the sound of falling fruits and nuts and will congregate where food
is plentiful. When there is an abundance of food available, the agouti will bury extra
nuts and fruit for when food is scarce. This makes them vital to the reforestation of
the Amazon.
Agoutis communicate using grunts, squeals, and hind foot stamping as signs of
distress or alarm. They use tactile and visual communication like body posture to
communicate as well.
Agoutis are terrestrial (ground dwelling) and cursorial (built for running with speed).
They walk, trot, gallop, and can jump more than 6 feet from a standing position.
Agoutis usually sit upright to eat, holding the food in their forepaws.
Special
Adaptations:
Related
Species:
Their hair is covered with an oily substance that serves as a raincoat. They have a
streamlined body and powerful hind legs making them excellent runners. Agoutis
have eyes on the sides of their heads, giving them a wild field of vision, to help spot
predators while they forage. They require high energy so they exert extra time
eating before dark to get them through the night.
There are 11 species of agouti. They are related to other cavies including guinea
pigs.
Current Status:
The IUCN Red List classifies the agouti as least concern due to its wide distribution,
large population, tolerance to habitat modification and occurrence in protected
areas.
Where am I in
the Zoo:
Agouti’s can be found in an outside exhibit across from Monkey Island in the center
of the Zoo grounds. They share an exhibit with the two toed sloth and golden lion
tamarins.