![]() ![]() ThreatsĪccording to the IUCN red list, the Amazonian agouti species are of least conservation concern, while others are vulnerable to extinction or data deficient, meaning scientists are unable to evaluate their conservation status until further research is conducted. And they are fast and agile, capable of jumping several feet high and spinning while in mid-air to evade their many predators. Agoutis are quite territorial and mark their area with urine or other sources of pheromones. When neither fruits nor nuts are available, they will eat alternate food sources such as fungi, insects and plants. While fruit is their preferred food, agoutis are equipped with sharp incisors to crack the hard shell of nuts. They make their dens in burrows between boulders, roots and bushes or in tree hollows, often near swamps or other aquatic environments. Agoutis seek out habitat with dense cover because it offers protection from feline predators like coatimundis, jaguars and ocelots. They will also live in gardens or farmland so long as adequate ground cover is present. HabitatĪgoutis mostly inhabit lowland and montane tropical forests, but some live in drier environments like savanna or scrub lands. A few species, however, are more widely distributed in the Amazon rainforest, and those include the Black-rumped, Red-rumped and Black Agoutis. Most species exist in small habitat ranges in the tropical Americas – some are even restricted to single islands. Their fur comes in many shades of orange, brown and black, with individual hairs having alternating black and buff bands creating an agouti pattern. ![]() These small mammals may grow up to 2.5 feet long and weigh up to 13 pounds. Agoutis are rodents in the genus Dasyprocta, which consists of 12 known species found throughout Central and South America.
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