Facts about Black Agouti (Dasyprocta fuliginosa)

Geographic Range

Found in Colombia, Venezuela, Surinam, the Amazon Basin of Peru and northern Brazil.

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )

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Morphology

Physical Description

Head and body length ranges from 415-620 mm. Tail length ranges from 10-35 mm. Fur is coarse and glossy, with the longest and thickest hair located on the posterior part of the back. Fur color ranges from pale orange through several shades of brown to almost black. The underparts are white, yellow or buff colored. The body form is slender, the ears are short, and the hindfoot fas three toes with hooflike claws. Females have four pairs of mammae.

Range mass: 1.300 to 4.000 kg.

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Habitat

Habitat and Ecology

Habitat and Ecology

The agouti is a significant harvester of seeds and fruits. Within its home range it accumulates stores for times of fruit scarcity, caching food in small pits which it excavates and then covers. Adult females defend parts of their home ranges when food is scarce. Young may be tolerated within the parent’s home range. An adult male defends as large an area as he can against other adult males, thereby ensuring the paternity of the young in his range. At high densities the ranges of a male and a female may be coincident, and thus they give the appearance of living in pairs (Smythe, 1978). During times of fruit scarcity, the subadults may lose weight. When startled, agouti produce a bark like warning call to alert family members within the home range to a potential predator, and the long hairs of the rump are erected, increasing the animal’s apparent size. On encountering boas (Boa constrictor), they sit at a distance and drum with a hind foot, attracting other family members, who join them in foot drumming until the snake moves off (Kleiman, 1974; Eisenberg, 1974; Eisenberg and Redford, 1999).

Systems

Terrestrial

Source: IUCN

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Habitat

They are found in forests, thick brush, savannahs and cultivated areas. In Peru, they are confined to the Amazonian region where they are found in all parts of the low selva zone and many parts of the high selva zone. It is found at altitudes of 2000 m or more. Agoutis live in close proximity to water, being found on the banks of all types of streams.

In some areas, they construct burrows among limestone boulders, along river banks or under the roots of trees.

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest ; rainforest ; scrub forest

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Trophic Strategy

Food Habits

Diet consists of fruits, vegetables, and various succulent plants.

Primary Diet: herbivore (Frugivore )

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Life Expectancy

Lifespan/Longevity

Range lifespan

Status: captivity: 18 (high) years.

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Lifespan, longevity, and ageing

Maximum longevity: 18 years (captivity) Observations: One wild born specimen was about 18 years old when it died in captivity (Richard Weigl 2005).

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (CC BY 3.0)

Source: AnAge

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Reproduction

In Venezuela agoutis breed throughout the year. Females have an average estrous cycle of about 34 days, with gestation lasting around 104 to 120 days. They also experience postpartum estrus. Litters are usually made up of one or two young, sometimes three occurs. Newborns are fully furred, have their eyes open and are able to run in their first hour of life. Females lactate for about twenty weeks.

Range number of offspring: 1.000 to 3.000.

Range gestation period: 104 to 120 days.

Range weaning age: 140 (high) days.

Parental Investment: precocial

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Conservation Status

IUCN Red List Assessment

Red List Category

LC

Least Concern

Red List Criteria

Version

3.1

Year Assessed

2008

Assessor/s

Catzeflis, F., Patton J., Percequillo, A., Bonvicino, C. & Weksler, M.

Reviewer/s

Chapman, R., Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Schipper, J. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification

This species is listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining at nearly the rate required to qualify for listing in a threatened category.

History

1996

Lower Risk/least concern

(Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Source: IUCN

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Conservation Status

In some areas, they have declined drastically due to habitat destruction and hunting.

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

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Trends

Population

Population

This rodent is common to uncommon and has a large geographic range (Emmons and Feer, 1997).

Population Trend

Stable

Source: IUCN

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Threats

Major Threats

This species is intensively hunted for meat, but nevertheless persists close to villages (Emmons and Feer, 1997).

Source: IUCN

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Management

Conservation Actions

Conservation Actions

This species occurs in several protected areas within its geographic range.

Source: IUCN

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Benefits

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Agoutis tame easily and make good pets. They are also extensively hunted for food.

Positive Impacts: food

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Black Agouti