Asara’s Agouti

Azara’s agoutis can be compared to guinea pigs, but with longer legs. They have speckled brown fur with a lighter-toned underside. They have five toes on their front feet, but only three toes on their hind feet. They are very shy animals and vocalise with a bark when alarmed. If they perceive danger, they will run swiftly away and are very good swimmers!

Agoutis are known as ‘jungle gardeners’ as they bury nuts and seeds and forget where they put them, therefore allowing plants to grow. They will eat a wide range of seeds and nuts and are the only mammal capable of opening a Brazil nut with their teeth.

Agouti are very active during the day. In spite of this though, they are incredibly hard to document as they are naturally very shy creatures in the wild and will run and hide at the slightest hint of danger.