Agoutis

Dasyprocta

Agoutis are small, furry animals that look a bit like big guinea pigs. They love to eat fruits, nuts, and seeds and are often found in the forests of Central and South America.

Lebensraum: Forests

Aussehen

The Agoutis has a slender body with a large head, short ears, and long, thin legs. Its coarse fur is typically reddish-brown to orange, often brighter on its rump, and nearly tailless with only a small stub visible. This makes it look like a large, long-legged guinea pig.

ReichAnimaliaStammChordataKlasseMammaliaOrdnungRodentiaFamilieDasyproctidaeGattungDasyprocta

Agoutis

Kategorie

Säugetiere

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Agoutis can make a sound like a bark when they are alarmed!

Their fur on their back points backward, then forwards near their rump!

They can leap over nine feet high with a single mighty spring!

Wow, agoutis walk on their tiptoes, like a tiny forest ballerina!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Agoutis can bury excess seeds and sometimes forget them, because this helps new plants grow in the forest.

Agoutis have excellent hearing that helps them detect even the quietest sounds of approaching predators.

Agoutis has strong, continuously growing teeth that help them crack open tough nuts and seeds.

Maße und Details

Länge: 40-75 cm
Gewicht: 2-6 kg
Lebenserwartung: 10-15 Jahre
Top Speed: 56 km/h
Wurfgröße: 1-4
Tragzeit: 104-120 Tage

Ernährung und Fütterung

Agoutis love to munch on fallen fruits, nuts, and seeds from the forest floor.

Hauptnahrung

Fruits
Nuts
Seeds
Fungi
Leaves

Nahrungssuche

Foraging

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eaten by

Jaguar

Panthera onca

A main meal for stealthy big cats.

eaten by

Ocelot

Leopardus pardalis

Small wild cats hunt them in the undergrowth.

eaten by

Harpy Eagle

Harpia harpyja

These huge birds of prey snatch them from above.

depends on

Brazil nut tree

Bertholletia excelsa

Spreads its hard-shelled seeds for future trees.

Merkmale

Pelzig

Pelzig beschreibt Tiere, die eine dichte Schicht aus weichen Haaren oder Fell besitzen.

Graben

Grabende Tiere heben Tunnel und Kammern im Erdboden aus und nutzen diese unterirdischen Strukturen als Unterschlupf, zur Jagd oder zur Fortpflanzung.

Pflanzenfressend

Dieses Merkmal kennzeichnet Lebewesen, deren Ernährung vollständig oder hauptsächlich aus pflanzlichem Material besteht.

Wald

Waldlebensräume sind terrestrische Lebensräume, die von dichtem Baumbestand dominiert werden und eine große Vielfalt an Pflanzen- und Tierarten beherbergen.