Microlivestock Little-Known Small Animals with a Promising Economic Future (1991) / Chapter Skim
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15 Agouti
15 Agouti
Pages 199-206
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From page 199... ...
There have been no organized scientific attempts to raise these swift, shy animals in captivity, but Latin Americans sometimes keep them as "domestics," especially in parks and large gardens. (Agoutis are well known, for instance at the Goeldi Museum in Belem, Brazil.)
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From page 200... ...
The short tail is partially concealed under the long body hair. DISTRIBUTION Agoutis occur over a vast area from southern Mexico to Paraguay, including many islands in the Caribbean.4 STATUS Because they occasionally damage sugarcane plantings and because the meat is particularly tasty, people hunt agoutis relentlessly, especially near cities and towns.
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From page 202... ...
Nonetheless, they often enter fields to forage, and young animals occasionally are seen in open areas such as grassy stream banks and cultivated fields. BIOLOGY Agoutis shelter in hollows among boulders, in riverbanks, or under tree roots.
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From page 203... ...
This behavior helps disperse the seeds of many species of trees so that agoutis benefit tropical forests and reforestation. USES As noted, agoutis are popular game animals.
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From page 204... ...
To avoid fighting, it seems necessary to separate females from males at puberty. Probably removing progeny from breeding pens at weaning could also help avoid most of the interpersonal aggression.
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From page 205... ...
Palms such as the babassu provide food, shade, and shelter, while fallen and rotten logs offer secure retreats from predators. This deserves investigation.8 Instead of clearing vast areas of rainforest for cattle pasture, as is being done in much of Latin America, people might well "farm" agouties in the forests.
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