Azara's Agouti
They were discovered by the 18th century naturalist Felix de Azara. Despite being duirnal(active during the day), they are quite difficult to study, as they are naturally extremely shy and will flee and hide when humans approach. Their shyness may be related to their solitary lifestyles, but may be because they are heavily preyed upon by many carnivorous species, including humans. However, if bred in captivity, they can become trusting animals. Theywill let out little barks when alarmed. These animals often bury nuts and seeds and forget where they put them, therefore helping new plants to grow.
Habitat
They are found in South America. They occur in southern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, and northern Argentina. They are also common in Eastern Bolivia. These rodents inhabit forest patches like tropical rainforest and tropical dry forest.within savannahs and lowland Atlantic forests.
Diet
They are herbivores. They feed on plant material, fruits, seeds and nuts. It has powerful front teeth to break into hard nut shells such as that of the Brazil nut.
Breeding
Little is known about the mating system and reproductive behavior of Azara's agoutis. Pairs of agouti are usually monogamous (stay together for life). It is known that these animals breed year-round with the peak in August and September. Females give birth to 2-4 pups after a pregnancy of around 3 months.
Population
The IUCN Red List and other sources do not provide the Azara's agouti total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Data Deficient (DD) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.
Threats
The population of this species may have gone locally extinct in some areas due to hunting.