BLACK AGOUTI

CHARACTERISTICS: Of short tail, long legs and body clearly slimmer at the front and bulkier at the back. Diurnal and capable of climbing. Their hair is straight, hard and woolly and grows longer at the back of the body
DIET: It feeds on fallen fruit, roots, tender shoots or grass.
REPRODUCTION: During courtship, the male splashes the female with urine and after various sprinklings she allows the male to come close. Gestation lasts 3 months, with 2 pups per litter. The female looks after the litter, showing high intolerance to the presence of the male, who she does not allow close to the young.
CURIOSITIES: They have the habit of hiding nuts in the ground, which makes them important seed dispersers. They are hunted for their flavoursome meat and although the geographical area they occupy is large it is becoming sparsely inhabited. The animals are tame and quiet and are easily domesticated.