Dasyproctidae
Encyclopedia
Dasyproctidae is a family of large South America
n rodent
s, comprising the agouti
s and acouchis. 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. They live in burrows, and, like squirrel
s, will bury some of their food for later use.
The paca
s (genus Cuniculus) are placed by some authorities (Woods, 1993;McKenna and Bell, 1997) in the Dasyproctidae, but molecular studies have demonstrated that they do not form a monophyletic group (Rowe and Honeycutt, 2002).
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n rodent
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s, comprising the agouti
Common agouti
The popular term Agouti designates several rodent species of the genus Dasyprocta that inhabit areas of Middle America, the West Indies, and northern South America. They are related to guinea pigs and look quite similar but have longer legs. The species vary in color from tawny to dark brown with...
s and acouchis. Their fur is a reddish or dark colour above, with a paler underside. They are herbivorous
Herbivore
Herbivores are organisms that are anatomically and physiologically adapted to eat plant-based foods. Herbivory is a form of consumption in which an organism principally eats autotrophs such as plants, algae and photosynthesizing bacteria. More generally, organisms that feed on autotrophs in...
, often feeding on ripe fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
that falls from trees. They live in burrows, and, like squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
s, will bury some of their food for later use.
Classification
Fossil taxa follow McKenna and Bell (1997), with modifications following Kramarz (2005).- Family Dasyproctidae
- Genus †Alloiomys
- Genus †Australoprocta
- Genus †Branisamys
- Genus †Incamys
- Genus †Neoreomys
- Genus †Megastus
- Genus †Palmiramys
- Genus Dasyprocta
- Azara's AgoutiAzara's AgoutiAzara's Agouti, Dasyprocta azarae, is a South American agouti species from the family Dasyproctidae. It is found in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. It is named after Spanish naturalist Félix de Azara.-Behaviour:...
, Dasyprocta azarae - Coiban AgoutiCoiban AgoutiThe Coiban Agouti is a species of rodent in the family Dasyproctidae.It is endemic to Panama. It is threatened by habitat loss....
, Dasyprocta coibae - Crested AgoutiCrested AgoutiThe Crested Agouti is a species of rodent in the family Dasyproctidae.It is endemic to Suriname. It is threatened by habitat loss....
, Dasyprocta cristata - Black AgoutiBlack AgoutiThe Black Agouti, Dasyprocta fuliginosa, is a South American agouti species from the family Dasyproctidae. It is found in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil. The agouti is the only animal that has sharp enough teeth to crack open the tough shell of a brazil nut, something that similar rodents...
, Dasyprocta fuliginosa - Orinoco AgoutiOrinoco AgoutiThe Orinoco Agouti is a species of rodent in the family Dasyproctidae.It is endemic to Venezuela....
, Dasyprocta guamara - Kalinowski AgoutiKalinowski AgoutiKalinowski's Agouti is a species of rodent in the family Dasyproctidae.It is endemic to Peru. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
, Dasyprocta kalinowskii - Brazilian AgoutiBrazilian AgoutiThe Brazilian Agouti, Dasyprocta leporina, is a South American agouti species from the family Dasyproctidae.It is found in Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Trinidad & Tobago and Brazil.It has also been introduced to the Lesser Antilles...
, Dasyprocta leporina - Mexican AgoutiMexican AgoutiThe Mexican Agouti is a species of rodent in the family Dasyproctidae.It is found in Cuba and Mexico.It is threatened by habitat loss....
, Dasyprocta mexicana - Black-rumped AgoutiBlack-rumped AgoutiThe Black-rumped Agouti, Dasyprocta prymnolopha, is an agouti species from the family Dasyproctidae. It is an endemic species found only in the northeast portion of Brazil.-References:*...
, Dasyprocta prymnolopha - Central American AgoutiCentral American AgoutiThe Central American Agouti is an agouti species from the family Dasyproctidae. The species is widespread in Mesoamerica and South America. The northern section of the range occurs from Chiapas and the Yucatan Peninsula to northern Ecuador and Colombia and western Venezuela...
, Dasyprocta punctata - Ruatan Island AgoutiRuatan Island AgoutiThe Ruatan Island Agouti is a species of rodent in the family Dasyproctidae.It is endemic to Honduras. It is threatened by habitat loss....
, Dasyprocta ruatanica
- Azara's Agouti
- Genus Myoprocta
- Green AcouchiGreen AcouchiThe Green Acouchi, Myoprocta pratti, is a species of rodent in the acouchi genus, part of the family Dasyproctidae, from South America. Its distribution is in western Amazonia, west of the Rios Negro and Madeira, in northwestern Brazil, northeastern Peru, eastern Ecuador, southeastern Colombia, and...
, Myoprocta pratti - Red AcouchiRed AcouchiThe Red Acouchi, Myoprocta acouchy, is a species of rodent in the acouchi genus, part of the family Dasyproctidae, from South America. It is found in the Guyanan subregion of Amazonia, including Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil, east of the Rio Branco and mainly north of the Amazon, with...
, Myoprocta acouchy
- Green Acouchi
The paca
Paca
The Lowland Paca , also known as the Spotted Paca, is a large rodent found in tropical and sub-tropical America, from East-Central Mexico to Northern Argentina...
s (genus Cuniculus) are placed by some authorities (Woods, 1993;McKenna and Bell, 1997) in the Dasyproctidae, but molecular studies have demonstrated that they do not form a monophyletic group (Rowe and Honeycutt, 2002).