About Dasyprocta leporina (Linnaeus, 1758)
The red-rumped agouti (Dasyprocta leporina) weighs 3 to 6 kilograms (6.6 to 13.2 lb), and measures 48 to 64 cm (19 to 25 in) in length. Females are larger than males, but the sexes are similar in appearance otherwise. The species is brownish with darker spots on the upper body; its fur becomes more orange moving down the midsection of the body. Its ears are somewhat square-shaped. Front feet have four toes each, while hind feet have three toes each. It can be told apart from other agouti species by its distinct coloring. It has no set breeding season; females enter breeding condition twice per year, and typically produce between one and four young per litter. Gestation lasts 104 to 120 days, and young are weaned on average after 20 weeks. Red-rumped agoutis live either in pairs, or in family groups made up of parents and their offspring. They require large areas for feeding, breeding, and territory, which makes keeping this species difficult in captivity. Individuals live 15 to 20 years in captivity. This species is native to northeastern South America, occurring primarily in Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and northeastern Brazil, as well as the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Lucia. It has also been introduced to Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Grenada, and Dominica. It occupies a wide range of forest habitats, including rainforest and secondary forest.
