Red-Rumped Agouti
Dasyprocta leporina
About the Red-Rumped Agouti
Geographic Range:
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Dasyproctidae
Genus: Dasyprocta
Species: leporina
Red-rumped agoutis, which weigh between 6 and 13 pounds, are native to French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Trinadad and Tobago. While they prefer forest environments, they can also be found in thick brush and savannahs. Their diet consists of seeds, fruits, roots and leaves. When food is abundant, they will bury it to save for a time when food is scarce. In doing so, red-rumped agoutis serve as important seed dispersers for many trees including Brazilian nut trees.
You Can Find This Animal in the Windows to the Wild
Committed to Conservation
Zoo New England helps agoutis by participating in the Species Survival Plan. By sharing research and knowledge, participating institutions work together to establish guidelines that best ensure the health of captive populations, and with success, the survival of endangered species.
