Red-rumped Agouti

Dasyprocta leporina

Also known as: Brazilian Agouti

LCLeast Concern
Red-rumped Agouti (Dasyprocta leporina) in the garden ... (28147035289)Dasyprocta leporina - Buffalo ZooRed-rumped Agouti (Dasyprocta leporina)Red-rumped Agouti (Dasyprocta leporina)
Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE · CC BY-SA 2.0Red-rumped Agouti (Dasyprocta leporina) in the garden ... (28147035289)Photo: Dave Pape · Public domainDasyprocta leporina - Buffalo ZooPhoto: Millie Basden · CC BY 4.0Red-rumped Agouti (Dasyprocta leporina)Photo: Nick Block · CC BY 4.0Red-rumped Agouti (Dasyprocta leporina)

The red-rumped agouti is a long-legged tropical rodent that buries seeds. It occurs across northern South America. Its habits explain more than a map point: It eats fruits, nuts, and seeds, and forgotten caches may grow. The records shown here document encounters and survey effort, not population size. Together, they show where this mammal has been found and why healthy habitat matters for its future.

US Range

IUCN Red List status

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Observation peakApril789 records

Seasonality from research-grade observation dates across the US (789 records, all years). Reflects when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence.

Best encounter

Where and when to see a Red-rumped Agouti

Your best chance: April.

When
April
Trophic relationshipsFood web What a Red-rumped Agouti eats, and what eats it.
Eaten by1
JaguarPanthera onca
This speciesRed-rumped Agouti
Queen PalmSyagrus romanzoffiana
Eats1

A sample of documented feeding relationships, filtered to species that also occur in the US. Diet and predators vary by region and season, and this is not a complete list, many animals eat, and are eaten by, more than what has been formally recorded here.

Life history

The Red-rumped Agouti (3.1 kg6.9 lb) is a herbivore that first breeds around 0.5 years, carries a 112-day gestation, and bears about 1.8 young per litter. Maximum recorded longevity is 17.8 years.

Life cycle

  1. Gestation112 days (≈3.7 months)
  2. Birthlitter of 1.8 young
  3. Sexual maturity0.5 yr (female)
  4. Typical lifespan17.8 years
  5. Maximum recorded longevity17.8 years

Reproduction

Gestation
112days≈3.7 months
Litter size
1.8youngaverage
Age at first breeding
0.5years

Diet composition

Herbivore

By foraging composition: 50% plant material, 40% fruit, 10% invertebrates.

  • Plant material50%
  • Fruit40%
  • Invertebrates10%

Most active during the day and at dawn and dusk.

Typical values for the species, not local measurements. Maximum longevity is the longest lifespan on record; most individuals live far less.

Commonly confused with

Animals people sometimes mistake for the red-rumped agouti, and how to tell them apart.

Life in its habitat

It eats fruits, nuts, and seeds, and forgotten caches may grow. It’s tied to places supplying food and shelter. That connection explains much of its range.

Red-rumped agouti standing among leaf litter and low green plants on a forest floor
Agoutis forage on the forest floor for fallen fruit, nuts, and seeds, often burying extras for later. Photo: Matthew Inabinett, CC BY 4.0 (iNaturalist).

What records reveal

Florida records reflect introduced animals, not a natural statewide range. Survey effort varies, and accessible places receive more attention. A gap can’t prove absence.

Red-rumped agouti on a dirt path at dusk, reddish-brown rounded body visible from behind
Agoutis are most active around dawn and dusk, when they move along familiar paths through their home range. Photo: Arthur Bitar Marinho Colares, CC0 (iNaturalist).

Looking ahead

Monitoring can reveal changes to plant communities. Conservation works best when it protects connected habitat and reduces avoidable deaths. Surveys can reveal change without confusing records with animal numbers.

Sources

  1. GBIF – Dasyprocta leporina
  2. Wikipedia – Red-rumped agouti
  3. iNaturalist – Red-rumped Agouti
  4. Wikidata – Red-rumped agouti
  5. Global Biotic Interactions (GloBI, CC0)

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources: