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Dasyprocta leporina
Brazilian Agoutis, or Dasyprocta leporina, weigh about 3 to 6 kilograms or 6 ½ pounds to 13 pounds. They are about 19 in to 25 in long. In this species 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 ears are somewhat square in shape. The front feet have 4 toes and the back have 3. They can be distinguished from other agoutis by their distinct coloring.
It lives in a wide varietiy of habitats with water, dense plant growth, which may include gardens and on crop fields. It is often found in the rainforests, or other forests of Brazil and northward. They usually have territories of about 30000m2 to 85000m2.
I saw many agoutis in Brazil and Guyana. This particular one was spotted in the Bosque da Ciencia, a 13 hectare plot of secondary forest in Manuas. Though they had a few manatees and otters in cages to educate the public, the agoutis ran free.
Spotted on Jan 13, 2011
Submitted on May 13, 2011
1 Comment
What an unusual critter! He's really cute, that coat is stunning too :)