By Monika Buczak
Although you may not consider yourself a fan of rodents, you have to admit that the Central American Agouti (Dasyprocta punctata) is pretty cool. This common resident of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest can grow to be up to 2 feet (62 cm) long and 8.8 pounds (4 kg). Its slick, brown coat acts as camouflage with the forest floor. This coat is oily and acts as a rain jacket/water-repellent during the rainy season. Agoutis also have a small, black tail and tough, powerful front teeth.
These teeth have enamel that’s twisted in a way which makes them stronger and perfect for breaking open hard nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds are the agouti’s favorite foods. Agoutis can even hear when fruit hits the ground thanks to their hypersensitive ears! When there is plenty of food at any given time, they bury the extra seeds for later, much in the way squirrels bury acorns.
Agoutis spend the majority of their time searching for food. They also like to take a dip in the nearest river or stream. When they’re resting, agoutis stay in burrows or hollow trees, seeking safety from predators such as pumas, jaguars, ocelots, birds of prey, and large snakes. When they sense danger, they “freeze” and hope to blend in with the dry leaves around them. If this doesn’t work, they may raise the hairs on their backs or make alarm calls to scare predators. If all else fails, the agoutis will run away in a zigzag pattern. They are surprisingly fast runners as they scamper away on their tiptoes. Agoutis can even jump 6 feet (2 m) straight into the air, turn around, land, and run off in another direction. Not bad for just another rodent!
Males and female agoutis both mark their territory with urine. Males will also urinate on females to demonstrate interest during mating season. If the female is willing to mate, she will respond by doing a sort of dance. Agoutis mate for life, which can last up to 17 years. A pair will have 1 or 2 babies at a time. The young are born covered in fur and can start eating plants as soon as one hour after they’re born. The young will generally stay with their parents until the next offspring are born.
Agoutis are frequently found in the Children’s Eternal Rainforest – as well as other tropical forests throughout Central and South America – so be sure to keep an eye out on your next visit!
Monika Buczak is a student at Lehigh University and completed an internship with the Monteverde Conservation League and Children’s Eternal Rainforest in 2016.