Spotted Paca (Cuniculus paca) lives in tropical rainforest across Central and South America. It feeds on fruits and vegetation. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Spotted Paca
- Weighing as much as a small adult human, a lowland paca tips the scales at 6 to 12 kilograms (13 to 26 lb). Its skull bears a laterally-expanded zygomatic arch that forms a resonating chamber, the only mammal known to have this acoustic feature. This built-in sound box lets the paca produce low-rumbling calls.
- It is strictly nocturnal and solitary, digging simple burrows about 2 m (6 ft 7 in) below the surface, often with multiple exits for quick escapes. If a predator appears, the paca darts into nearby water and can stay submerged for several minutes, using its strong swimming ability as a lifesaver in the flood-prone riparian zones it calls home.
- Beyond being a tasty morsel, the paca is a forest gardener. It devours fallen fruit such as avocados, mangos and zapotes, then scatters the seeds across the understory, acting as an important seed distributor. By moving seeds away from the parent tree, pacas help maintain plant diversity and give seedlings a better chance to grow in the competitive neotropical understory.
- A single paca pregnancy lasts just 115-120 days, after which usually one, sometimes two, pups emerge. The mother raises the precocial young, who can run and eat solid food within a day, and may have up to three offspring per year. In the wild a paca can live up to 13 years, giving it a relatively long lifespan for a rodent and allowing multiple breeding cycles over its life.
- Pacas crowd the forest floor at wildly different rates, dense patches can hold over 90 individuals per square kilometre, while hunted zones drop to as few as 6 per km². In some hunting hotspots, about 150 pacas are taken each year from a 500 km² area (0.4 per km²). Despite this pressure, the species remains listed as Least Concern, thanks to its abundance in protected areas and its adaptability to mixed agro-forest landscapes.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeCentral and South America
HabitatTropical rainforest
DietFruits and vegetation
About the Spotted Paca
In the dappled shadows of the tropical forest, the spotted paca moves with quiet purpose, its large, dark eyes ever-vigilant as it navigates the underbrush with a gentle rustle of leaves. With each deliberate step, its sturdy legs propel it forward, the distinctive spots on its back blending seamlessly into the mottled landscape as it forages for the tender shoots and fruits that sustain it. As it pauses to sniff the air, its whiskers twitching with sensitivity, the paca embodies a serene and unhurried existence, a testament to the enduring charm of this unassuming, yet remarkable creature.
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