Dasyproctidae

Dasyproctidae Fossil range: Late Oligocene - Recent
Agouti paca
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Family: Dasyproctidae Gray, 1825
Genera
Dasyprocta Myoprocta Agouti

The Dasyproctidae are a family of South American rodents, comprising three genera.

Classification

• Family Dasyproctidae
  • Genus Dasyprocta
    • Azara's Agouti, Dasyprocta azarae
    • Coiban Agouti, Dasyprocta coibae
    • Crested Agouti, Dasyprocta cristata
    • Black Agouti, Dasyprocta fuliginosa
    • Orinoco Agouti, Dasyprocta guamara
    • Kalinowski Agouti, Dasyprocta kalinowskii
    • Brazilian Agouti, Dasyprocta leporina
    • Mexican Agouti, Dasyprocta mexicana
    • Black-rumped Agouti, Dasyprocta prymnolopha
    • Central American Agouti, Dasyprocta punctata
    • Ruatan Island Agouti, Dasyprocta ruatanica
  • Genus Myoprocta
    • Green Acouchi, Myoprocta pratti
    • Red Acouchi, Myoprocta acouchy
  • Genus Agouti
    • Paca, Agouti paca
    • Mountain Paca, Agouti taczanowskii

The Pacas (Agouti genus) are sometimes placed in a separate family Agoutidae or as the subfamily Agoutinae.

Note that the animals commonly known as Agoutis are not the same as those with the scientific name Agouti. Adding to the confusion, the name Agoutis is sometimes used to refer to the whole family Dasyproctidae, including or excluding the Agouti genus. To avoid misunderstandings, some authors refer to the Pacas as the genus Cuniculus.

External links

• Dasyproctidae at Johns Hopkins Univ.

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