Red acouchi

Red acouchi
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 the Amazon biome, 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 M. acouchy to the green acouchi instead and used M. exilis for the red acouchi, but this is now obsolete.[2]

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

References

  1. ↑ Catzeflis, F., et al. 2008. Myoprocta acouchy. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. Downloaded on 04 June 2013.
  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.
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