| Red-rumped agouti | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Dasyproctidae |
| Genus: | Dasyprocta |
| Species: | D. leporina |
| Binomial name | |
| Dasyprocta leporina | |
 | |
| Geographic range | |
| Synonyms | |
Mus agutiLinnaeus, 1766 [2] 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.
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]
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] .
It is found in a wide range of forests, including rainforest and secondary forest. [1]
Red-rumped agoutis weigh about 3 to 6 kilograms (6.6 to 13.2 lb). They are about 48 to 64 cm (19 to 25 in) long. The females are larger than males but otherwise look similar. They are 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. They can be distinguished from other agoutis by their distinct coloring.
They have 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. They live in pairs or family groups of the parents and babies. They need large areas for food, breeding, and territory; because of this, keeping them in captivity is difficult. It lives 15-20 yrs in captivity.
Food mostly consists of seeds, pulp, leaves, roots and fruits. They also feed on insect larvae when plant resources are low. [4] They are known to feed on and disperse Astrocaryum aculeatissimum seeds, as well as Hymenaea courbaril seeds. [4] [5]
Dasyproctidae is a family of large South American rodents, comprising the agoutis and acouchis. Their fur is a reddish or dark colour above, with a paler underside. They are herbivorous, often feeding on ripe fruit that falls from trees. They live in burrows, and, like squirrels, will bury some of their food for later use.
The lowland paca, also known as the spotted paca, is a large rodent found in tropical and sub-tropical America, from east-central Mexico to northern Argentina, and has been introduced to Cuba and Algeria.
The agouti or common agouti is many of several rodent species of the genus Dasyprocta. They are native to Middle America, northern and central South America, and the southern Lesser Antilles. Some species have also been introduced elsewhere in the West Indies. They are related to guinea pigs and look quite similar, but they are larger and have longer legs. The species vary considerably in colour, being brown, reddish, dull orange, greyish, or blackish, but typically with lighter underparts. Their bodies are covered with coarse hair, which is raised when alarmed. They weigh 2.4–6 kg (5.3–13.2 lb) and are 40.5–76 cm (15.9–29.9 in) in length, with short, hairless tails.
The Brazilian porcupine is a porcupine found in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, French Guiana, Peru, Paraguay, Suriname, Bolivia and Trinidad, with a single record from Ecuador. It inhabits tropical forests at elevations up to 1500 m.
The green-rumped parrotlet, also known as the green-rumped parakeet, is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae that is found in northeastern South America and the Caribbean island of Trinidad. The green-rumped parrotlet occurs from northern Venezuela eastwards to the lower Amazon in Brazil, Also Suriname and has been introduced to Curaçao, Jamaica and Barbados. It prefers semi-open lowland areas and is also sometimes present in city parks. There are five subspecies.
The black agouti is a South American species of agouti from the family Dasyproctidae.
Azara's agouti is an agouti species from the family Dasyproctidae. Found in Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina, it is named after Spanish naturalist Félix de Azara. The population is unknown and may have gone locally extinct in some areas due to hunting; it is listed as vulnerable in Argentina.
The black-rumped agouti is an agouti species from the family Dasyproctidae. It is endemic to Brazil, and its range roughly equals the Northeast Region. It is named after its black rump which contrasts clearly with the orange body.
The Central American agouti is a species of agouti from the family Dasyproctidae. The main portion of its range is from Chiapas and the Yucatan Peninsula, through Central America, to northwestern Ecuador, Colombia and far western Venezuela. A highly disjunct population is found in southeastern Peru, far southwestern Brazil, Bolivia, western Paraguay and far northwestern Argentina. The disjunct population has been treated as a separate species, the brown agouti, but a major review of the geographic variation is necessary. The Central American agouti has also been introduced to Cuba and the Cayman Islands.
Astrocaryum alatum is a species of palm with edible nuts, a flowering plant in the family Arecaceae. It is a common species found many types of rainforests and swamps in Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama.
The Coiban agouti is a species of rodent in the family Dasyproctidae. It is endemic to the island of Coiba (Panama) and resembles the more widespread Central American agouti. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The crested agouti is a species of rodent in the family Dasyproctidae. It is endemic to Guyana and Suriname. Its taxonomic status is uncertain and it may be synonymous with Dasyprocta leporina, leading the IUCN to rate it as Data Deficient.
The Mexican agouti,, also known as the Mexican black agouti, is 1 of 13 species of rodent in the genus Dasyprocta. This species was first discovered in 1860 in Veracruz, Mexico and described by Henri Louis Frédéric de Saussure.
The Ruatan Island agouti, also called the Roatán Island agouti, is a species of agouti in the family Dasyproctidae. It is endemic to the island of Roatán, off the north coast of Honduras.
The brown agouti is a species of agouti in the family Dasyproctidae that is native to portions of central or southeastern Peru, east to western Brazil, south to a strip of Bolivia. It was originally regarded as conspecific with the Central American agouti, but revised as distinct.
Media related to Brazilian Agouti at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Brazilian Agouti at Wikispecies