Common name: Agouti

Type: Little rodents/Mammals

Family: Dasyproctidae

Range: The Agouti is ranging from the places of southern Mexico including the Yucatan Peninsula and the Chiapas. It also ranges through the places in Central America including the Costa Rica to northwestern Colombia, Ecuador and far western Venezuela. In the southeastern Peru, the highly distinct population of the Agouti is found in an efficient way and also you can find that little rodent in the far northwestern Argentina, far southwestern Bolivia, Brazil and the western Paraguay. When you consider about the Central American Agouti, it has also been introduced to the places like the Cayman Islands and the Cuba to improve the habitant nature.

Size: The average length of the Agouti along with the tail is 41 to 62 cm., and in which the tail would be a length of 1 to 3.5 centimeters. It normally weighs around 1.3 to 4.0 kg

Diet: When you consider about these Agoutis, they normally feed on the seeds and fruits and hence they called as the most important and efficient seed dispersers. They have their favorite food as the fallen fruit. This little rodent has the ability to hear the sound of even hit of small fallen fruit as sharpen one through its ears and hence it can easily grasp the food without and difficulties. These mammals also prefer to eat nuts, vegetables and the leaves of the trees available in the forests of Costa Rica.

Average lifespan: Normally these Agoutis can live for 20 years and the average lifespan of these little rodents would be 14 years

Habitat: Normally these Agoutis are diurnal one. They prefer to make the tunnel by digging under the fallen trees and the bushes. These Agoutis usually be hidden in the hollow of a tree or in the burrows hidden by the roots during the nighttime. They are also a good swimmer, even though they live in the dry place. Even though these are naturally shy and get feared in front of humans, they can be easily trained according to the requirements. These are the terrestrial animals and they announce the territory through the urine. This can make other Agoutis to enter into the territory with the urine smell. They also live as the monogamous pairs and it would probably meet the pair Agouti to live their life as the best.

Breeding/Reproduction: When you go through the reproduction of these Agoutis, normally the male Agouti sprays the urine on the female in order to express the necessity of mate possession. Usually the pregnancy or breeding period of the Agoutis is three to four months and they can breed throughout all the seasons in an efficient way. In the majority, they prefer to breed in the place where they can get most of the fruits around and hence in the period of March to July. The number of broods they can typically breed would be one to four as weigh about 08 oz.

They would breed their babies in the safe places including the root covered burrows and the leaf lined place. Immediately after an hour, the young Agouti would get the capacity to run. Normally the babies would get nursing from their mothers for the period of about four months and in this period normally the fathers are away from their home. The Agoutis will get the maturity about 16th month.

When you think about the Agoutis, they are typically slim one. They have the various skins as tiny fur coated from yellowish-brown to the deep dark brown color along with the different lighter shades. There are also strips available in some species. When they have got alarm regarding any danger, then there would be a raise in the coarse hair from their back. The natural raincoat has been got by Agouti because of the red hair it has with the oily ingredient and there was no hair presents in the short tail of it. Because of these features, you can even mistake it as a guinea. They normally have the toes as five front and three hind and in which the first of the toes are exceptionally seemed to be very small. They normally walk with the help of their toes, which made them as authentic one compared to other rodents related to them those would probably walk as flat footed.

These Agoutis are normally wanted to live in the forest of Central and Northern territory available in the Latin American and also in the wooden areas. You can also find out them in the places of rainforests, savannas and cultivated fields depending on the nature of the species. Apart from these places, they are also mostly found in the areas including the channels, around logs of large dead trees, rivers, under bushes and near the swaps that too in and around the areas of Costa Rica.

In Costa Rica, you can find Agoutis in Braulio Carrillo National Park, Chirripo National Park, Juan Castro Bianco National Park, Monteverde Cloud Forrest Reserve, Poas Volcano National Park and Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve.

Normally the Agoutis would use their forefeet in order to clean up the body and also for combing their hair. Even though the Agoutis are of diurnal nature, they prefer to fly from the particular place when there is the presence of more predators around their territory. Usually the predators of them would be the snake, Jaguar, Ocelots, Jaguarondis and the Coatimundis.

In order to get survived from its predators, these Agoutis normally have very keen nose and also the capability of sharp hearing sense that help them in a better way. They can be able to make the noise as high-pitched one and also run quickly at the time of getting attacked by the enemies. These Agoutis also be able to hop up to two meters or six feet from the ground in the air.

Just like other rodents available, these Agoutis would eat upright as food in their forepaws, when they stand on their hind legs. In order to get their future food, they usually bury under the earth for the extra foods. If they are not able to find out the nuts as they need, then it would probably grow for helping create the rainforest as the best one. Because of this reason, they are normally known as the rodents as the gardener of rainforest. Since they have the very special and efficient teeth, they can easily break the very hard items and hence the castanhas (Brazil Nuts) too.

Since these Agoutis are found in the forests of Costa Rica, when you visit there it would be better to go through their little plays to get the enjoyable moments.