There are
ten species of agouti which are part of the
family Dasyproctidae. They live primarily in
South America and are
prey to
carnivores like
foxes and
ocelots. They and other rodents like them are the South American ecological equivalent of the
ungulate herbivores in
Africa. They are orange to brown colored with a contrasting
rump color.
Agoutis live mainly on
fallen fruits, attracted to them by the sound of the
ripe fruit hitting the
ground.