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15
Agouti
Among the best known of all animals of the American
tropics, agoutis (Dasyprocta species) are prolific rab-
bit- or hare-sized rodents that are probably easily
farmed. They are valued for food and are hunted
throughout most of their range. Indeed, agouti meat,
once common in Latin markets, is now difficult to find
because of indiscriminate killing. Agouti hunting is already prohibited
in Brazil; restaurants in Belem, for example, once offered a variety of
"cotta" (agouti) dishes at prices equivalent to those of choice filet
mignon, but since the early 1970s they have been banned from serving
it. Other countries will probably have to institute similar bans.
Agoutis are active, long-legged, and high-strung. They flee in panic
at the slightest alarm. They do not climb but they do burrow occa-
sionally, being essentially specialized ground-dwellers that live in
tropical forest regions.
There have been no organized scientific attempts to raise these swift,
shy animals in captivity, but Latin Americans sometimes keep them
as "domestics," especially in parks and large gardens. (Agoutis are
well known, for instance at the Goeldi Museum in Belem, Brazil.)
These animals seem to tame easily, and could perhaps be mass-
produced on a large scale like rabbits or guinea pigs. They make
affectionate pets, sometimes refusing to return to the wild. A research
project on captive breeding of two local agouti species (Dasyprocta
mexicana and D. punctata) for food is already under way in Tuxtla
Gutierrez, Mexico.
AREA OF POTENTIAL USE
Most of lowland, tropical Latin America and the Caribbean.
' There are about 11 Dasyprocta species. This is not the rodent called agouti in West
Africa. That is the grasscutter (see page 232).
199
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200
APPEARANCE AND SIZE
MICROLIVESTOCK
Agoutis are delicately built, graceful, nimble, and beautifully pro-
portioned. They have slender bodies, short ears, and look somewhat
like a rabbit that has been "jacked up" in back. Generally, adults are
4~60 cm long and weigh 2-5 kg. Some are even bigger.
They run well and are good jumpers. From a standing start an agouti
reportedly can leap as high as 2 m or as far as 6 m; however, as long
as they are well fed, there is little problem keeping them behind a wall
only 1 m high.2 Reportedly, they sometimes climb easy-sloping trees
to collect green fruits, but researchers studying Central American
agoutis report that they are strictly terrestrial.3 They swim well.
The body hair is thick, coarse, and glossy: pale orange to black on
the back, and white to yellow on the belly. Some species have faint
stripes, and some have a rump that contrasts with the rest of the back.
The short tail is partially concealed under the long body hair.
DISTRIBUTION
Agoutis occur over a vast area from southern Mexico to Paraguay,
including many islands in the Caribbean.4
STATUS
Because they occasionally damage sugarcane plantings and because
the meat is particularly tasty, people hunt agoutis relentlessly, espe-
cially near cities and towns. Now, in the l990s, they are becoming
rare because of excessive hunting and habitat destruction. Many Latin
Americans have never heard of them. In Mexico, for instance, there
are few places where agoutis survive, and Dasyprocta mexicana may
become extinct if habitat destruction and overhunting continue in its
restricted range. In Costa Rica and Panama, agoutis occur only where
there is little or no hunting or human interference.
2 Information from D. Butcher.
3 Information from D. Janzen and W. Hallwachs.
4 Agoutis were once imported into the West Indies and released to provide game meat
for slaves.
Opposite: Agouti. (W. Hallwachs)
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202
HABITAT AND ENVIRONMENT
MICROLIVESTOCK
From sea level to elevations of at least 2,500 m, the adaptable agouti
lives in many habitats: moist lowland forests, dry upland forests, thick
brush, and savannas. However, although they thrive in secondary
growth areas, they are mainly forest dwellers. Nonetheless, they often
enter fields to forage, and young animals occasionally are seen in open
areas such as grassy stream banks and cultivated fields.
BIOLOGY
Agoutis shelter in hollows among boulders, in riverbanks, or under
tree roots. They also hide in heavy brush and sometimes in holes dug
out by other species.
These herbivores eat seeds, fruit, stalks, leaves, roots, and other
succulent plant parts, as well as occasional insects and fungi.
They seem to mate twice each year. The estrous cycle is variable,
but is only about 34 days long. The young are born after a gestation
period of 3.5 - months. Usually, there are twins; however, single
births and triplets have been recorded. Newborns are fully developed
and are able to run around within hours. They start feeding on solids
within a few days. Puberty occurs at about 9 months of age. Life
expectancy is 10 years or more.
BEHAVIOR
In the wild, agoutis are shy and retiring. Every sense seems constantly
triggered for instantaneous action and sometimes they become hyster-
ical. If danger threatens, they usually "freeze," but when discovered
they stamp their feet as an alarm signal and dash away, nimbly dodging
obstacles.
Despite excessive timidity, they can be violent among themselves.
In undisturbed forests, agoutis are diurnal and are often seen. But
around villages they become nocturnal, as a means of self-preservation.
For the most part, these rodents live in loosely formed pairs, with
previous litters living around their territory as "satellites." There is
some "bigamy," some "philandering," and some "divorce."5.
Despite their long claws, they display much finger dexterity. To eat,
they usually sit erect, crouching on their haunches and holding the
food in their forepaws. If it has a skin, they carefully peel it before
starting their meal. They save some nonperishable foods (nuts, for
5 Information from D. Janzen and W. Hallwachs.
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AGOUTI
203
J
The native range of the agoutis. Within this area, 11 species are found, but the best
known and most widespread is Dasyprocta punctata.
instance) by digging holes in scattered locations, dropping each one in
a separate location, stamping it down, and covering it over. This
behavior helps disperse the seeds of many species of trees so that
agoutis benefit tropical forests and reforestation.
USES
As noted, agoutis are popular game animals. They are often hunted
with dogs that even follow them into the burrows. Agouti meat is
tasty, although it is usually said to fall short of the meat of the pace
(see page 262) because it is leaner and gamier.
HUSBANDRY
Agoutis adapt well to captivity. With appropriate care they can be
bred without difficulty.6 The nervousness that is pronounced in nature
is quickly lost in captivity. The young become tame pets. They can
be fed on foods such as leafy vegetables, fruit, potatoes, and bread
scraps. Although many wild specimens have become nocturnal, cap-
tives readily readapt to daylight.
Being entirely terrestrial, agoutis require no trees, but they do need
space. Given enough area, they get on well (with each other and with
6 At the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, 2 males and 3 females yielded 38 offspring
between 1978 and 1982. See Merritt, 1983.
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204
MICROLIVESTOCK
ACOUCHIES
Close relatives, the green and red acouchies (Myoprocta
acouchy and Myoprocta exalts) also desente study. These are
smaller animals with longer tails, bearing a little plume of
white hairs. Although even more delicate and hypersensitive
than agoutis, they can be kept in captivity and breed well. They
then become less nentous and are easily handled. Acouchies
show remarkable intelligence and even some affection for
those they trust. They frequent rainforests, but are rare or even
absent in disturbed areas. Adults weigh up to 1.5 kg.
The general biology (diet, reproduction, activity rhythm), is
almost the same as that of the Mouth but they live in smaller
home ranges (0.~1.2 hectares versus 2.5 hectares for the
agouti) and travel singly, although belonging to a well-estab-
lished family unit. Adult males tolerate the juvenile males.
They occur only in Colombia, the Guianas, Ecuador, Peru, and
Brazil.
Fanning methods would probably be the same as for the
agoutis, but acouchies always need plant cover.
different species), and they breed freely. To avoid fighting, it seems
necessary to separate females from males at puberty. Probably re-
moving progeny from breeding pens at weaning could also help avoid
most of the interpersonal aggression. In large areas with plenty of
cover (banana plants, for instance), groups can be kept, but breeding
may be disappointing. Husbandry may be most appropriate in large
enclosures (5() 100 agoutis) with some animals then removed to small
cages 0.5-1 m2 for selective feedings
ADVANTAGES
Agoutis are appropriately sized: a dressed carcass can weigh 1-3 kg.
The meat is good, and large commercial undertakings in urban centers
could profit from the ready market that already exists.
The animals are prolific: females can produce up to two litters a
year, each litter averaging two offspring. In protected areas, populations
may grow fast.
These forest dwellers might provide a source of meat and income
without destroying the forests in favor of cattle pastures. Also, they
thrive in disturbed areas as long as there is some cover.
7 Mem[t, 1982.
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AGOUTI
LIMITATIONS
205
Experiments in Brazil show that agoutis are highly susceptible to
foot-and-mouth disease.
The animals might become pests: they eat the roots, leaves, and
fruit of agricultural crops and occasionally damage sugarcane and
banana plants. However, current experience suggests that if they
escape captivity they are quickly caught by hunters and do not reach
pest levels.
Live agoutis have strong-smelling anal glands that may be offensive
to breeders or could contaminate the meat if the animals are carelessly
handled.
Where the rainforest is destroyed, the agouti population is destroyed.
The animals were once well known throughout Latin America, but not
anymore. In some areas, therefore, wild breeding stock may not be
locally available. Moreover, people may have become sufficiently
unfamiliar with them that their value may no longer be appreciated.
In captivity, they can be the prey of large birds such as eagles.
RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION NEEDS
The taxonomy of agouti species needs clarification.
Husbandry experiments are required, including studies on topics
such as:
· Nutrition;
· Growth rate;
· Shelters and enclosures;
· Reproduction; and
· Techniques for catching, moving, marketing, and managing the
animals.
One area where agoutis might profitably be raised is in enclosures
in palm plantations. Palms such as the babassu provide food, shade,
and shelter, while fallen and rotten logs offer secure retreats from
predators. This deserves investigation.8
Instead of clearing vast areas of rainforest for cattle pasture, as is
being done in much of Latin America, people might well "farm"
agouties in the forests. Few of the settlers flooding into such regions
can afford, let alone raise, beef. Small-scale agouti farming offers a
promising and inexpensive alternative that would be gentle on the
fragile land.
x Smith, 1974.
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Representative terms from entire chapter:
banana plants
