agouti

noun

Etymology: From French agouti, from Old Tupi akuti. The name of the acouchi is probably from the same source.

1. A rodent of the genus Dasyprocta, similar in appearance to a guinea pig but having longer legs, mainly native to Central and South America.

   “Akin looked around to be certain he was unobserved, then went out to watch the agouti. He had not seen one close up before. Lilith claimed they looked like a cross between deer and rats.”

2. A fur containing a pattern of pigmentation in which individual hairs have several bands of light and dark pigment with black tips; any of several genes responsible for this pigmentation.