Red-rumped agouti facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red-rumped agouti |
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Mus aguti Linnaeus, 1766 |
The red-rumped agouti (scientific name: Dasyprocta leporina) is a cool animal that looks a bit like a large guinea pig. It's also called the golden-rumped agouti or Brazilian agouti. This animal is part of the agouti family, which are rodents found in Central and South America.
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Where Red-Rumped Agoutis Live
Red-rumped agoutis are originally from northeastern South America. You can find them in countries like Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and northeastern Brazil. They also live on islands in the Caribbean, such as Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Lucia.
Sometimes, these agoutis have been brought to new places. They now live in Florida in the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Grenada, and Dominica.
Agouti Homes: What They Like
These agoutis live in many different kinds of forests. They can be found in thick rainforests. They also live in secondary forests, which are forests that have grown back after being cut down.
What Red-Rumped Agoutis Look Like
Red-rumped agoutis are about 48 to 64 centimeters (19 to 25 inches) long. They usually weigh between 3 and 6 kilograms (6.6 to 13 pounds). Female agoutis are a bit bigger than males, but they look very similar.
Their fur is mostly brownish. They have darker spots on their upper body. The fur on their lower back, near their rump, becomes more orange. This is how they get their name! Their ears are a bit square-shaped. They have four toes on their front feet and three toes on their back feet. You can tell them apart from other agoutis by their special colors.
Red-Rumped Agouti Life Cycle
Red-rumped agoutis don't have a specific time of year when they have babies. Females can get pregnant twice a year. They usually have one to four young at a time. The babies grow inside their mother for about 104 to 120 days.
Young agoutis drink their mother's milk for about 20 weeks. Agoutis often live in pairs or in small family groups. These groups include the parents and their babies. They need a lot of space to find food, have babies, and protect their home. Because of this, it can be hard to keep them as pets. In zoos, they can live for 15 to 20 years.
What Red-Rumped Agoutis Eat
Red-rumped agoutis mostly eat plants. Their diet includes seeds, fruit pulp, leaves, roots, and fruits. When there aren't many plants available, they will also eat insect larvae. They are known to eat and help spread the seeds of certain trees, like the Astrocaryum aculeatissimum palm and the Hymenaea courbaril tree.
