Rodents related to guinea pigs but larger and longer-legged, living in forests and wooded areas of Central and South America. They sit up to eat, holding food in their forepaws, and bury seeds and nuts in small stores, helping to plant new trees.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?Yes
Commonly hunted for food across its range.
At a glance
Found inSouth America, Central America, Africa
HabitatRainforest, Forest, Grassland, Farmland
ColoursBrown, Orange, Black
SizeSmall
Length40.5–76 cm
Weight2.4–6 kg
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives inpairs
Lives for15–20 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Central America, northern and central South America and the southern Lesser Antilles; introduced elsewhere in the Caribbean and to Benin in West Africa.
- What it eats
- Mainly fallen fruit and seeds, plus leaves and roots, and sometimes eggs, crabs and shellfish.
Did you know
One of the few animals that can gnaw open a Brazil nut, and it buries seeds that grow into new trees.
Can live up to 20 years, remarkably long for a rodent.
In a study of 240 species, agoutis came fourth for sense of smell, ahead of dogs.
Often confused with
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A photo, a few hints, one guess. Same 438 animals.
