Dasyproctidae

The agouti (, ) or common agouti is any of several rodent species of the genus Dasyprocta, from Ancient Greek δασύς (dasús), meaning "hair", and πρωκτός (prōktós), meaning "anus". They are native to Central America, northern and central South America, and the southern Lesser Antilles. Some species have also been introduced elsewhere in the West Indiesand in west Africa (Bénin). 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 ligh

Dasyproctidae, from Ancient Greek δασύς (dasús), meaning "hair", and πρωκτός (prōktós), meaning "anus", 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 acouchis (genus Myoprocta) are rodents belonging to the family Dasyproctidae from the Amazon basin. They are generally smaller than agoutis and have very short tails (5 to 7 cm), while agoutis lack tails. For this reason the acouchis are also called tailed agoutis.