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The agouti (/ ə ˈ ɡ uː t iː / ⓘ, ə-GOO-tee) or common agouti is many of several rodent species of the genus Dasyprocta. They are native to Central America , northern and central South America , and the southern Lesser Antilles .
Dasyproctidae is a family of large South American rodents, comprising the agoutis and acouchis. [1] 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.
There is limited information available on development within the Mexican agouti. It is known that young are born precocial, and covered in fur with their eyes open. [2] [7] Female agoutis have been found to nurse pups until weaning for up to 7 weeks post-partum, but young are tolerated and remain in their territory post-weaning.
The Central American agouti (Dasyprocta punctata) is a species of agouti from the family Dasyproctidae. [2] The main portion of its range is from Chiapas and the Yucatan Peninsula (southern Mexico ), through Central America , to northwestern Ecuador , Colombia and far western Venezuela .
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 female black agouti is capable of breeding year-round. Also, they are considered to be seasonally polyestrous, meaning the females can go through more than one period of estrus in a single year. [3] One estrus period can last for 24 hours while the estrous cycle can last between 30 and 34 days. [3]
Azara's agouti (Dasyprocta azarae) 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.
Ruatan Island agoutis closely resemble the widespread Central American agoutis, but are noticeably smaller in size, being only around 44 cm (17 in) in head-body length. Their fur is orange brown over their entire bodies, fading to a paler, olivaceous shade on the underparts, and with grizzled black ticking over their backs.