Chordates • Earth.com

Mexican agouti

(Dasyprocta mexicana)

galery

Description

The black agouti or zerete prieto ( Dasyprocta mexicana ) is a species of histricomorphic rodent of the family Dasyproctidae auctótona of Mexico.They measure from 415 to 620 mm.in length and the tail 10 to 35 mm.With a weight of 1.3 K approximately.It is a small animal,with short ears.In the hindlimbs they have three toes provided with claws,in the form of hooves.The females present 4 pairs of ventral mammals.The fur is short and shiny,with thicker and longer hair on the back,the coloration varies from a pale orange tone to brown tones on the back.The belly is usually whitish or yellowish.Existing also completely black fur.The agouti is basically diurnal,but if there is human activity nearby,it does not leave the protection provided by its burrow,until it gets dark.He is terrestrial,walks,trots and gallops on his fingers,but he can also jump vertically at least 2 meters.When he is in danger,he remains immobile and,if discovered,can escape with great speed and agility.He usually sits down to eat and holds the food with his front legs.This species lives in places very close to water.Burrows can be built between stones along beds,rivers,or under the roots of trees.They usually live in pairs,they are monogamous,and both parents protect the young.During courtship,the male sprays the female with urine,causing "a frantic dance" in her,after this the female allows the male to approach her.The females have an average of 34 days in the estrous cycle,and a gestation period of 104 to 120 days.They usually have two offspring,sometimes three,with a record of four.Breastfeeding lasts approximately 20 weeks.The separation between parents and offspring is associated with the arrival of a new child.The offspring at birth are fully developed and with open eyes.They are able to run the first hour after they are born.In many places the population of agouti declined,because they are hunted for their consumption.

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum:
Class: Mammalia
Order:Rodentia
Family:Dasyproctidae
Genus:Dasyprocta
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