Red-rumped agouti

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Red-rumped agouti
Red-rumped Agouti (17380318590).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Dasyproctidae
Genus: Dasyprocta
Species:
D. leporina
Binomial name
Dasyprocta leporina
Dasyprocta leporina distribution.svg
Geographic range
Synonyms

Mus agutiLinnaeus, 1766 [2]
Mus leporinusLinnaeus, 1758

Contents

The red-rumped agouti (Dasyprocta leporina), also known as the golden-rumped agouti, orange-rumped agouti or Brazilian agouti, is a species of agouti from the family Dasyproctidae.

Distribution

It is native to northeastern South America, mainly in Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, northeastern Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Lucia in the Caribbean. It has also been introduced to Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Grenada, and Dominica. [2]

Names

Despite the alternative name Brazilian agouti, it is neither the only nor the most widespread species of agouti in Brazil. In Brazil all agoutis are often called "cutia" [kuˈtʃiɐ] .

Habitat

It is found in a wide range of forests, including rainforest and secondary forest. [1]

Captive specimen at Henry Vilas Zoo in the United States Captive Red-rumped Agouti, Madison, WI.jpg
Captive specimen at Henry Vilas Zoo in the United States

Description

The red-rumped agouti weighs about 3 to 6 kilograms (6.6 to 13.2 lb). It is about 48 to 64 cm (19 to 25 in) long. The females are larger than males but otherwise look similar. It is brownish with darker spots on the upper body. The fur becomes more orange as it goes past (going down) the middle area of the animal. The ears are somewhat square in shape. The front feet have four toes and the back have three each. It can be distinguished from other agoutis by their distinct coloring.

It has no distinct breeding season, but females come into season twice a year and generally have one to four young. [3] The gestation period is 104 to 120 days. On average, it takes 20 weeks for the young to be weaned. It lives in pairs or family groups of the parents and babies. It needs large areas for food, breeding, and territory; because of this, keeping it in captivity is difficult. It lives 15-20 yrs in captivity.

Diet

Food mostly consists of seeds, pulp, leaves, roots and fruits. It also feeds on insect larvae when plant resources are low. [4] It is known to feed on and disperse Astrocaryum aculeatissimum seeds, as well as Hymenaea courbaril seeds. [4] [5]

References

  1. 1 2 Emmons, L.; Reid, F. (2016). "Dasyprocta leporina". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016 e.T89497102A22197762. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T89497102A22197762.en .
  2. 1 2 Woods, C.A.; Kilpatrick, C.W. (2005). "Infraorder Hystricognathi". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 1538–1600. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  3. ↑ "The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago" (PDF).
  4. 1 2 Soodnarinesingh, Christine (2012). "Dasyprocta leporina (Red-rumped Agouti)" (PDF). The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  5. ↑ Pires, Alexandra; Galetti, Mauro (December 2012). "The agouti Dasyprocta leporina (Rodentia: Dasyproctidae) as seed disperser of the palm Astrocaryum aculeatissimum". Mastozoologia Neotropical. 19 (1): 147–153.

Further reading

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