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Agouti
habitat
dry, tropical forest
Agoutis seen in Guanacaste
4
range
Central America,
Mexico, southern USA
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Lesson
Plans
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Endangered mammals of the
Dry Tropical Forest
| While we were in Guanacaste, we came across
several of Costa Rica's endangered mammals. Pika, Dave,
and I all ran into separate agoutis (a-goo-T) while we
were out hiking and running on our own. To be able to
see so many of these animals keeps us hopeful that these
animals will eventually be taken off the endangered species
list. |
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Agoutis remind me of large hamsters. They are about
the size of a football. Agoutis are brownish in color,
and spend all of their lives on the forest floor. Agoutis
live in holes that they dig in the mud, like armadillos
and snakes.
Agoutis are found in drier areas, and therefore don't
live in the lowland rainforest. They can be found in
Mexico as well as southern Texas.
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Agoutis are diurnal animals, meaning that they are
active during the day. While they are awake, they spend
all of their time looking for food and trying to avoid
predation. Agoutis like are herbivores, so they eat
vegetation, small plants, and roots.
Agoutis are endangered for the same reasons that many
other rainforest animals are: habitat loss. Agoutis
do not have a very large range, compared to many carnivorous
animals. However, agoutis are territorial and do not
respond well to altered habitats. Therefore if a road
or home is built, or if the forest is cut to create
room for cattle, the agoutis are left with very little
space.
Frosty
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Critters
of Costa Rica Index
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