Acouchi
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| Acouchis Fossil range: Recent |
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The acouchies (genus Myoprocta) are rodents belonging to the Dasyproctidae family. They are generally smaller than the common agoutis and have a very short tail (5 to 7 cm), while the common agoutis lack a tail. For this reason the acouchies are also called tailed agoutis.
There are two species of Acouchis:
- Myoprocta pratti - Green Acouchi
- Myoprocta acouchy - Red Acouchi
Both species live in the Amazon Rainforest. They are coloured brown or greenish, but with bright orange or red parts of the head. Often acouchis live in riverbanks, where they dig holes. Like the common agoutis, but unlike the much larger pacas, acouchis are active at day and feed on fruit. In fact, acouchis will often respond to the sound of ripe fruit falling from trees by frenziedly running towards what they hope will be their next tasty meal.
Acouchies depend on their tails to convey their willingness and readiness to mate. Confident, ready males will hold their tails erect and begin to wag them, whereas the more timid, but still aroused, males will wag their tails in a downward position. Females will signal their interest by erecting their tails while simultaneously arching their backs downward. The typical result of all this tail manipulation is a litter of two little acouchies in about three months' time.
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