Dasyprocta leporina (Linnaeus, 1758)

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 : 458-459

6.

Common Red-rumped Agouti

Dasyprocta leporina

French: Agouti doré / German: Goldaguti / Spanish: Aguti de dorso rojo

Other common names: Brazilian Agouti, Orange-rumped Agouti, Red-rumped Agouti

Taxonomy. Mus leporinus Linnaeus, 1758 ,

“Habitat in Java, Sumatra.” Corrected by A. M. Husson in 1978 to “forest near the boarding-school Peninika, near the confluence of the Peninika Creek and the upper Commewijnw River,” Commewijnw District, Suriname.

There is considerable variation in color over backs and flanks of D. leporina , and multiple subspecies have been recognized in limited parts of its distribution, including cayana and flavescens. Two proposed taxa are included here in the synonymy of D. leporina : D. cristata named by E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire in 1803 and D. rubrata named by O. Thomas in 1898. Taxonomic classification requires comprehensive study of geographical variation. Dasyprocta leporina was previously designated as D. aguti. Monotypic.

Distribution. Throughout Guianan region, from N Venezuela (E of Lake Maracaibo) and the Guianas to N Brazil (N of the Amazon River and E of the Rio Negro), including Trinidad I, also in EC & E Brazil (S of the Amazon), from the Rio Madeira to the C coast. It has been introduced to the Lesser Antilles (Dominica, Grenada, and US Virgin Is).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 470-650 mm, tail 10-30 mm, ear 40-50 mm, hindfoot 118-148 mm; weight 2.1-5.9 kg. The Common Red-rumped Agouti is variable but medium to large-sized. Color varies based on geographical location. Head and forequarters are finely grizzled olivaceous; rump is dark red to yellowish orange, covered by long,straight hairs that overhang rump in a fringe. Top of head, neck, and mid-back are blackish;crest has longer hairs. The Common Red-rumped Agoutiis distinguished from the Orange Agouti ( D. croconota ) by its bright orange rump, from the Black Agouti ( D. fuliginosa ) by its yellowish-red rump, from the Black-rumped Agouti ( D. prymnolopha ) by lacking black mid-dorsal stripe, and from Azara’s Agouti ( D. azarae ) by larger size and overall brownish color with yellow-orange rump.

Habitat. Mature, disturbed, and secondary evergreen, deciduous, and gallery forest and gardens and plantations. In French Guiana, Common Red-rumped Agouti occur in all vegetation types but primarily in open forest, distant from water and dense vegetation.

Food and Feeding. The Common Red-rumped Agouti eats fruit, nuts, and seeds.It is primarily diurnal but exhibits a bimodal activity pattern with a second phase of foraging in the late evening. Foraging activity varies in response to available resources and temperature, with foraging time dependent on forest age and tree structure.

Breeding. Female Common Red-rumped Agoutis typically reproduce once per year, and although births may occur year-round, most are concentrated in the dry season. A study in French Guiana identified pregnancy peaks in November—April, beginning with the early rainy season and coinciding with an increase in the number offruiting trees. Litters are 1-3 young; gestation lasts 110-112 days. Neonates are precocial, being well furred and with eyes open at birth.

Activity patterns. As is characteristic of all species of Dasyprocta, Common Red-rumped Agoutis are primarily diurnal but with bimodal activity patterns concentrated in early morning and late evening when a second phase of foraging occurs. They are most active in early morning and late afternoon. They are sometimes active on bright moonlit nights. Single individuals use diurnal and nocturnal resting places, with the number of these places varying by individual, not by sex or age.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Basic social unit of the Common Red-rumped Agoutiis the family of a breeding pair with their young-of-the-year. Subadult and juvenile males are either solitary or may group into small units of 2-3 individuals. Adult sex ratio is skewed in favor of females due to high mortality ofjuvenile males. Each family group occupies areas ¢.200 m in diameter, with groups separated by 50 m or less; there is intergroup territorial defense. Distributional pattern is clumped as a result of aggregation of individual home ranges. Site fidelity is nearly permanent over time. Individuals frequently use well-worn trails and travel in pairs or as a family group. Densities of Common Red-rumped Agoutis vary with forest type, and greater numbers of individuals might be found in fragmented patches rather than continuous forest. Consistent with longevity of family groups and clumped distribution, several separate mitochondrial maternal lineages might overlap within an area, even across relatively small geographical regions.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Common Red-rumped Agouti has a wide distribution and presumably large population and occurs in protected areas.

Bibliography. Dubost (1988), Dubost et al. (2005), Eisenberg & Redford (1999), Emmons (1997a), Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (1803), Henry (1997 1999), Husson (1978), Jorge (2008), Jorge & Peres (2005), Norris et al. (2010), Patton & Emmons (2015a), Thomas (1898b), van Vuuren et al. (2004), Weir (1971).

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. Throughout Guianan region, from N Venezuela (E of Lake Maracaibo) and the Guianas to N Brazil (N of the Amazon River and E of the Rio Negro), including Trinidad I, also in EC & E Brazil (S of the Amazon), from the Rio Madeira to the C coast. It has been introduced to the Lesser Antilles (Dominica, Grenada, and US Virgin Is).