Azara agouti
| Azara agouti | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Azara agouti ( Dasyprocta azarae ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Dasyprocta azarae | ||||||||||||
| Lichtenstein , 1823 |
The Azara's agouti ( Dasyprocta azarae ) is a kind from the family of the agoutis and acouchi .
etymology
The specific epithet "azara" was taken from the name Felix Manuel de Azara.
features
The Azara agouti has a body length of 40 to 64 cm with a tail length of around 2.5 cm. The body weight of the rodent is 1–4 kg. The fur is greenish brown to greenish black and speckled light to medium brown. The back is usually dark brown, but can shimmer orange, the belly is light. In the front area of the body the fur is yellowish to yellowish brown in color. The coat contains shiny and dull hair, the hair on the back is the longest. Azara agoutis have protruding ears. The animal has a rounded body shape and the head is similar to that of other guinea pig relatives . The thin legs have four functional fingers and a rudimentary thumb on the front feet, and three toes on the hind feet. The molars have a cylindrical crown.
distribution and habitat
The Azara agouti inhabits eastern and central South America . It lives in the east and southeast of Brazil , in Paraguay and in northern Argentina .
These rodents mostly inhabit rainforests and other humid areas such as marshland. You can rarely find them in the open pampas . They prefer habitats near water.
Way of life
Azara agoutis are diurnal animals, but can be particularly active during twilight.
They live mostly solitary, but they are monogamous . The territorial animals live in fixed territories, the size of which depends on the food supply in the territory. There they build residential buildings under rocks or near trees. The territories are defended against conspecifics. Azara agoutis are social animals that devote a lot of time to grooming each other. Agoutis can make barking noises in case of danger.
The Agara-Agouti has excellent hearing, which can protect it from predators as well as to localize the falling noises of fruit. This is also reflected in the anatomy of its outer auricles.
The azara agouti moves safely at a trot or hopping through several short jumps. It can also swim and is often by the water.
food
Azara agoutis are omnivores , although they are mostly considered to be fruit-eaters .
It is known that they mainly eat nuts , seeds , fruits , roots and other plant material. You can also crack hard Brazil nuts, which is why they are very important for their spread. Azara agoutis also build up supplies and thus help in the reforestation of the forests, similar to the squirrels that are native to us . They often follow primates, who often drop fruit when they eat. They can cause damage to sugar and banana plantations, as they are also happy to accept them as food. As forest areas are increasingly being used for agriculture, the azara agouti is also increasingly eating field crops.
When eating, Azara agoutis usually sit on their hind legs and hold the food with their front paws.
Reproduction
Azara agoutis are sexually mature towards the end of the first year of life, the mating season extends over the whole year. After a gestation period of around 100–120 days, the female gives birth to 1–3 young. The life expectancy is almost 20 years.
Predators
Natural enemies are boas , forest dog ( Speothos venaticus ), ocelot , puma ( Puma concolor ), jaguar ( Panthera onca ). and man for millennia.
When threatened, they can become motionless. If the escape distance is exceeded, they can zigzag to seek cover.
Endangerment from people
The Azara agouti is particularly endangered by the clearing of the rainforests and was classified as endangered in 1996. Hunting for its meat also adds to the threat in populated areas.
Subspecies
The two subspecies Dasyprocta a. azarae and Dasyprocta a. paraguayensis are known.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Craig Rekoske: 3 Species Account Dasyprocta azarae. (Word) In: Bio 378 Sec.
- ^ MA Johnson, PM Saraiva, D. Coelho: The role of gallery forests in the distrabution of Cerrado Mammals. In: Journal of Mamology . Volume 64, No. 3, pp. 531-523.
- ^ A b T. H. Fleming: How do fruit- and nectar-feeding birds and mammals track their food resources? In: Effects of resource distribution on animal-plant interactions. Academic Press, New York 1992, pp. 355-391
- ↑ Deborah A. McWilliams: Determinants for the Diet of Captive Agoutis (Dasyprocta spp.). In: Veterinary Clinics of North America: Exotic Animal Practice 12, No. 2, 2009, pp. 279-286, doi: 10.1016 / j.cvex.2009.01.001 .
- ^ Brian K. McNab: The influence of food habits on the energetics of eutherian mammals. In: Ecological Monographs 56, No. 1, March 1986, pp. 1-19.
- ↑ Juan Carlos Guix, Xavier Ruiz: Plant-disperser-pest evolutionary triads: how widespread are they. ( Memento of the original from November 22, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF) In: Orsis 15, 2000, pp. 121–126.
- ↑ CA Chapman, LJ Chapman: Survival without dispersers: seedling recruitment under parents. In: Conservation Biology 9, 1995, pp. 675-678.
- ↑ Gerald L. Zuercher, Philip S. Gipson, Osvaldo Carrillo: Diet and habitat associations of bush dogs Speothos venaticus in the Interior Atlantic Forest of eastern Paraguay. In: Oryx 39, No. 01, 2005, pp. 86-89, doi: 10.1017 / S0030605305000153 .
- ^ Gabriela Ludwig et al .: Cougar Predation on Black-and-Gold Howlers on Mutum Island, Southern Brazil 1. In: International Journal of Primatology 28, No. 1, 2007, pp. 39-46, doi: 10.1007 / s10764-006-9103-7 .
- ↑ a b Fernando Cesar Cascelli De Azevedo: Food habits and livestock depredation of sympatric jaguars and pumas in the Iguacu National Park area, south Brazil. In: Biotropica 40, No. 4, 2008, pp. 494-500, doi: 10.1111 / j.1744-7429.2008.00404.x .
- ↑ F. Catzeflis, J. Patton, A. Percequillo, C. Bonvicino, M. Weksler, M .: Dasyprocta azarae . In: IUCN , 2008, IUCN: Red List of Threatened Species , Version 2010.1. Accessed June 12, 2010.
