Agouti
Dasyprocta spp.
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Agoutis are large rodents related to guinea pigs. Characteristically, they have five toes on their front feet and three on their rear feet. They are hunted for their meat and are skittish of people in the wild. Agoutis are born with a full coat of fur, with eyes open, and are able to run after only a few hours. Despite this, most don’t make it through their first year. Some species, such as the red agoutis, are day active while others are nocturnal. Some species exhibit excellent agility and the gray agouti is able to jump two metres into the air. They are the only wild animal capable of cracking into Brazil nut pods due to their powerful front teeth.
