Common agouti
Sign in to saveThe 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
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The common agouti is a rodent species native to Central and South America that is related to guinea pigs but larger with longer legs. These animals matter because they play a role in their ecosystems and have been studied as part of wildlife in their native regions, though some species have also been introduced to other parts of the world like parts of Africa and the West Indies.
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Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Dasyproctidae
- Image
- Dasyprocta punctata (Mexico).jpg
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via Wikidata · CC0
Article
8 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Description
- Behaviour and habits
- Breeding
- Species
- See also
- References
- External links
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 lighter underparts. Their bodies are covered with coarse hair, which is raised when alarmed. They weigh and are in length, with short, hairless tails.
The related pacas were formerly included in genus Agouti, but these animals were reclassified in 1998 as genus Cuniculus.