Central American agouti

Central American agouti
Suchitepéquez Department, Guatemala
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Dasyproctidae
Genus: Dasyprocta
Species:
D. punctata
Binomial name
Dasyprocta punctata

The Central American agouti (Dasyprocta punctata) is a species of agouti from the family Dasyproctidae.[2] The main portion of its range is from Chiapas and the Yucatan Peninsula (southern Mexico), through Central America, to northwestern Ecuador, Colombia and far western Venezuela. A highly disjunct population is found in southeastern Peru, far southwestern Brazil, Bolivia, western Paraguay and far northwestern Argentina. The disjunct population has been treated as a separate species, the brown agouti (Dasyprocta variegata),[3] but a major review of the geographic variation is necessary.[2] The Central American agouti has also been introduced to Cuba and the Cayman Islands.[2][4]

Though some populations are reduced due to hunting and deforestation, large populations remain[3] and it is not considered threatened.[1]

In an analysis of 240 species, agoutis came in fourth place for best sense of smell; better than dogs, which actually came out average. Their snouts are packed full of olfactory receptors.[5]

  1. ^ a b Emmons, L. (2016). "Dasyprocta punctata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T89497686A78319610. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T89497686A78319610.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Woods, C.A.; Kilpatrick, C.W. (2005). "Infraorder Hystricognathi". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 1558. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  3. ^ a b Emmons, L. H. (1997). Neotropical Rainforest Mammals. Pp. 227–229. 2nd edition. ISBN 0-226-20721-8
  4. ^ Long, J. L. (2003). Introduced Mammals of the World: Their History, Distribution and Influence. Csiro Publishing, Collingwood, Australia. ISBN 9780643099166
  5. ^ "Scientists studied the DNA of 240 different animals. Here are some of the quirkiest findings". www.wbur.org.