Central American Agouti, Dasyprocta punctata

Central American Agouti, Dasyprocta punctata. Agouti photographed in the wilds of Puerto Chomes, Costa Rica, March 2022. Photograph courtesy of Thomas Enderlin, flyfishingcostarica.com.

The Central American Agouti, Dasyprocta punctata, is a member of the Dasyproctidae family of large South American rodents that is known in Mexico as Sereque. In Panama, they are referred to as the Neque and in eastern Ecuador, as the Guatusa. The Dasyproctidae Family consists of thirteen members placed into two genera. There are eleven species in the Dasyprocta genus.

Central American Agoutis have coarse yet glossy fur that increases in length from the anterior to posterior sides of their body. Their coat is varying shades of brown grizzled with black dorsally, and yellowish to white ventrally. However, they can have slightly different appearances depending upon their environment. In northern Colombia, western Venezuela, and the Atlantic slope of Costa Rica and Panama, their mid-body is orange and their rump is black or cream. In western Colombia and Ecuador, some individuals may have tawny foreparts and a yellowish rump. Central American Agoutis have slender bodies that range from 41.5 cm (16 inches) to 62 cm (2 feet 0 inches) in length. They weigh between 1.0 kg (2.0 lbs) to 4.0 kg (9.0 lbs). Their tails are short, measuring only 1 cm (0.4 inches) to 3.5 cm (1.4 inches) in length. No sexual dimorphism is displayed in this species. They have relatively small, rounded ears and an elongated muzzle. Similar to other rodents, their teeth are designed to gnaw on very hard items with a single pair of sharp incisors in the front of their mouth. However, the Central American Agouti is the only animal that can crack open the hard outer shell of a Brazil Nut, Bertholletia excelsa. Their front feet have five toes while their hind legs have three, each possessing a hoof-like claw. Unlike other rodents, they walk on their toes, giving them an almost dainty look. 

Central American Agoutis mate with one another for life and each pair occupies a territory of 26,000 square km (10,000 square miles) to 52,000 square km (20,000 square miles. Each territory must contain fruiting trees and a source of water. When other Agoutis attempt to enter a claimed territory they are driven off, typically by the male. Territorial defenses can involve vicious fighting which can result in severe wounds. When behaving aggressively, they sometimes erect the long hairs on their rump, thump the ground with their hind legs, and use a series of vocalizations, the most common of which resembles the bark of a small dog. While Central American Agoutis breed throughout the year, the majority of their young are born between March and July when the fruit is most plentiful. Individuals in some populations may mate twice per year. During courtship, the male sprays the female with urine which causes her to go into a “frenzy dance”. After several sprays, the female will allow the male to approach. Gestation lasts 104 to 120 days and each litter typically containing two young; litters of three and four young have been recorded in captivity. Females dig a den for their young or bring them to old dens they have constructed in hollow logs, among tree roots, or under tangled vegetation. The dens often match the size of the young and as the offspring grow, the mother relocates the litter to a larger den. Females have their own den apart from their young. The young are precocial and born fully furred with their eyes open. Within their first hour of life, they are able to run. The mother will nurse her young for twenty weeks. Upon the arrival of a new litter, offspring become separated from their mother due to parental aggression or lack of food. Those born during the fruiting season have a substantially greater chance of survival compared to those born during the off season. They have life spans of ten years in the wild.

While Central American Agoutis are diurnal, they will shift their activities to become nocturnal if they are hunted or commonly bothered by humans. They devote considerable time for grooming to remove ticks, mites, and parasites. They use their forefeet to rake hair and draw it within reach of their incisors, which they use as a comb. Grooming amongst pairs is observed on occasion. Odors play an important role in their communication. Both males and females possess anal scent glands that are used to mark various structures in their environment. When threatened, the Central American Agouti can move with remarkable speed and can jump up to 1.8 m (6.0 feet) vertically from a standing position. They often sit in an erect position from which they can dart out of at full speed if necessary. If they sense danger, they pause motionless with one forefoot raised. They are preyed upon by medium to large predators within their range such as eagles, jaguars, and humans. Central American Agoutis are primarily frugivores, and their sensitive ears can hear the sound of ripe fruit hitting the ground even from far away. Individuals will often follow bands of monkeys and feed on fruit dropped from the trees. They feed by sitting on their hind legs and holding their food in their forepaws. They then turn the fruit around several times while peeling it with their teeth. Any remaining parts of the fruit that are not eaten during mealtime are buried. When food is abundant, they carefully bury seeds to use as a food source when fruit is scarce or not in season. Since not all seeds are recovered, this behavior is important in the dispersal of seeds from many native tree species. 

The Central American Agouti may be confused with the Lowland Paca, Cuniculus paca due to their similar appearances and overlapping ranges. These species can be differentiated visually. The Lowland Paca is larger than the Central American Agouti, weighing between 6 kg (13 lbs) and 12 kg (27 lbs) with stout bodies and short limbs. They are reddish-brown to dark brown in color dorsally, with three or four lines of large white spots extending from head to rump on each side of their body. Their front feet have four toes while their hindfeet have five, two tiny side toes and three long weight-bearing middle toes, all with thick claws.

From a conservation perspective, the Central American Agouti is currently considered to be of Least Concern due to their wide distribution, presumed large population size, and occurrence within a number of protected areas. This species of rodent is one of the most common species throughout its range. The Agouti are heavily hunted for meat and are reluctant to leave its territory, allowing them to be run to the ground by dogs and killed with machetes. In the northern part of its range, this species is also threatened by the conversion of habitat to pasture.