Mexican Agouti: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Little Mammals · day 2 of 7

Five facts

1. Unlike its agouti cousins, this rainforest rodent wears a black or dark brown coat, sprinkled with a few white hairs.
2. Babies are born furry with their eyes open. Within a day they are already grooming and following their mother to eat what she eats.
3. When it runs from danger, the Mexican agouti sounds the alarm with a string of sharp, nasal barks and loud foot stomps.
4. Agoutis bury seeds one by one, 2 to 8 cm deep, and may dig them up as much as 8 months later.
5. It is normally active by day, at dawn and at dusk. But where people hunt it, it switches to a night-time life to stay out of trouble.

The quiz

1. What colour is the Mexican agouti's coat on its back?

• Bright orange
• Pure white
• Black or dark brown (correct)
• Green with stripes

Its black or dark brown coat sets it apart from other agoutis.

2. What are newborn Mexican agoutis like?

• Furry, with their eyes open (correct)
• Hairless, with their eyes closed
• Covered in spines
• Hatched from eggs

The young are born covered in fur with their eyes open.

3. How does a Mexican agouti sound the alarm while fleeing?

• It purrs loudly
• It sings a long whistled song
• It hoots from a treetop
• Sharp nasal barks and foot stomps (correct)

It gives sharp, nasal barks and stomps its feet as it runs.

4. How long after burying a seed may an agouti come back for it?

• Only an hour later
• Up to 8 months later (correct)
• After 10 years
• Never, it forgets them all

Agoutis have been reported digging up buried seeds up to 8 months later.

5. What does the Mexican agouti do where people hunt it?

• Moves into towns
• Becomes active only at midday
• Switches to being active at night (correct)
• Stops eating fruit

Where hunted, it shifts to a nocturnal lifestyle to avoid danger.

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