ZooBorns

Bashful Agouti Pups Stick Close To Mom

Last week, Wellington Zoo welcomed two tiny Agouti pups. Agoutis are rodents, similar to Guinea Pigs, only with longer legs. One of the twins has white markings on its feet, distinguishing it clearly from its sibling. Adept swimmers, Agoutis have five front toes and only three hind toes. By adulthood, the pups may reach up to 24 inches in length.

Her Name is Rio and She Fits Inside Your Hands

Rio, the first baby Agouti to be hand-raised at Australia's Taronga Zoo in 22 years, is chock full of personality. Born on December 8th, Rio is being hand-raised by keeper Simon Brown, as her mother passed away suddenly after her birth. Keeper Brown is ensuring a healthy transition to life at the zoo's Education center, by slowly but steadily helping her get accommodated to her new surroundings. You can learn all about Agouti's big adventure here on Taronga's blog post about her.

What's an Agouti?

Kind of like a guinea pig, but with longer legs, agoutis range between Central and South America and some of the nearby islands. This baby Brazilian agouti was born January 11, 2009 at the the LA Zoo. These rodents are remarkable for their ability to jump up to six feet straight up from a standstill.

 

Agoutis tend to eat fallen fruits and nuts as well as succulent plants.  One of the few animals capable of breaking open the pods of the Brazil nut tree, they have a symbiotic relationship with the tree.  After they open the pods, agoutis bury the extra nuts over a wide area.  The seeds that aren’t later retrieved by the agoutis for food will grow into new trees.