What’s an Agouti?

Kind of like a guinea pig, but with longer legs, agoutis range between Central and South America and some of the nearby islands. This baby Brazilian agouti was born January 11, 2009 at the the LA Zoo. These rodents are remarkable for their ability to jump up to six feet straight up from a standstill.

Agoutis tend to eat fallen fruits and nuts as well as succulent plants. One of the few animals capable of breaking open the pods of the Brazil nut tree, they have a symbiotic relationship with the tree. After they open the pods, agoutis bury the extra nuts over a wide area. The seeds that aren’t later retrieved by the agoutis for food will grow into new trees.

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