Idea #342 – Observing the agoutis of french Guiana
Agoutis, of their scientific name Dasyprocta, forms a kind of rodents which includes ground mammals of tropical America. It was described for the first time in 1811 by the German zoologist Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger. Of medium-size, this animal possesses an almost non-existent tail, short ears and back legs much longer than those front, what allows it to make a 6 meter jump easily. Its fur is brown going up to the red. The agouti lives in the forest and the wooded spaces, in a group or only. Its house is a den, a tree trunk or a rudimentary nest in the thick herbs. The agouti feeds on roots, on leaves and on fruits, and buries its reserves in the ground, in anticipation of bad days.
Somes Pictures
Where is it ?
Îles du Salut Islands, French Guiana, France
