Red Acouchi

"Myoprocta acouchy" redirects here. In some literature, this name may refer to the Green Acouchi (Myoprocta pratti) instead.
Red Acouchi
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Dasyproctidae
Genus: Myoprocta
Species: M. acouchy
Binomial name
Myoprocta acouchy
Erxleben, 1777

The Red Acouchi, Myoprocta acouchy, is a species of rodent in the acouchi genus, part of the family Dasyproctidae, from South America. It is found in the Guyanan subregion of Amazonia, including Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil, east of the Rio Branco and mainly north of the Amazon, with a few records from south of the Amazon. In the past, some authors have applied the name acouchy to the Green Acouchi instead and used Myoprocta exilis for the Red Acouchi, but this is now obsolete.[2]

It not only hoards seeds, but chews off the protruding sprout to prevent germination.[3][4]

References

  1. ^ Catzeflis, F., Weksler, M. & Bonvicino, C. (2008). Myoprocta acouchy. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 5 January 2009.
  2. ^ Voss, R.S., Lunde, D.P. & Simmons, N.B. 2001. Mammals of Paracou, French Guiana: a Neotropical lowland rainforest fauna. Part 2. Nonvolant species. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 263:1-236.
  3. ^ Jansen, P.A.; Bongers, F.; Hemerik, L. (2004). "Seed mass and mast seeding enhance dispersal by a neotropical scatter-hoarding rodent". Ecological Monographs 74: 569–589. doi:10.1890/03-4042. 
  4. ^ Jansen, P.A.; Bongers, F.; Prins, H.H.T. (2006). "Tropical rodents change rapidly germinating seeds into long-term food supplies". OIKOS. doi:10.1111/j.2006.0030-1299.14461.x.