Dasyprocta guamara, Ojasti, 1972

Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2016, Dasyproctidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 440-461 : 459

7.

Guamara Agouti

Dasyprocta guamara

French: Agouti de I'Orénoque / German: Orinoco-Aguti / Spanish: Aguti del Orinoco

Other common names: Orinoco Agouti

Taxonomy. Dasyprocta guamara Ojasti, 1972 ,

“Cano Araguabisi, Territorio Delta Amacuro, Venezuela.”

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Known only from two localities (the type locality and Cano Guiniquina) in the Orinoco Delta, NE Venezuela.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 467-557 mm, tail 20-23 mm, ear 40-46 mm, hindfoot 135-144 mm; weight 3.4-4 kg. The Guamara Agouti is medium-sized.

Dorsum is brown to black, finely mixed with ocherous shades. It is distinguished by proportionally elongated hindfeet that average c.130% of greatest skull length, which is, by comparison,less than ¢.115% for the Common Red-rumped Agouti ( D. leporina ).

Habitat. Dense and marshy forests of the Orinoco Delta, always wet and partly inundated during the rainy season.

Food and Feeding. There is no information available for this species.

Breeding. Two offive adult female Guamara Agoutis collected in November were pregnant, each with two embryos.

Activity patterns. The Guamara Agouti is diurnal and terrestrial. Individuals seek refuge in hollow trunks offallen trees. Exceptionally long hindfeet might assist them to navigate through muddy substrate in a region that is always wet and partly inundated.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no information available for this species.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. The Guamara Agouti is protected under Annex II of the Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife Protocol in Venezuela. In the Orinoco Delta,it is the only endemic mammalian species. Much ofits distribution is within protected areas, but extent and quality of its habitat are probably declining. The Guamara Agouti is abundant and is an important protein source for local peoples.

Bibliography. Conde (2001), Ochoa & Rivas (2008), Ochoa, Bevilacqua & Garcia (2005), Ochoa, Garcia et al. (2009), Ojasti (1972), Patton & Emmons (2015a).

Figures

On following pages: 4. Roatan Island Agouti (Dasyprocta ruatanica); 5. Black Agouti (Dasyprocta fuliginosa); 6. Common Red-rumped Agouti (Dasyprocta leporina); 7. Guamara Agouti (Dasyprocta guamara); 8. Orange Agouti (Dasyprocta croconota); 9. Black-rumped Agouti (Dasyprocta prymnolopha); 10. lack’s Red-rumped Agouti (Dasyprocta iacki); 11. Brown Agouti (Dasyprocta variegata); 12. Kalinowski's Agouti (Dasyprocta kalinowskii); 13. Azara's Agouti (Dasyprocta azarae); 14. Red Acouchy (Myoprocta acouchy); 15. Green Acouchy (Myoprocta pratt).

Distribution. Known only from two localities (the type locality and Cano Guiniquina) in the Orinoco Delta, NE Venezuela.