Mountain Paca
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| Agouti taczanowskii (Stolzmann, 1865) |
Mountain Pacas are small burrow-dwelling rodents whose habitats include high altitude forests in Central and South America. Pacas are nocturnal, sedentary, and solitary animals with territorial tendencies. They eat mostly fruits and seeds. The mountain paca primarily inhabits the higher montane forest regions such as those in the Peruvian Andes.
The paca has coarse fur without underfur, dark brown to black on the upper body and white or yellowish on the underbelly. It usually has three to five rows of white spots along its sides, against a dark grey background. It has thick strong legs, with four digits in the forefeet and five in the hind feet (the first and fifth are reduced); the nails function as hooves. The tail is short and hairless. The zygomatic arch is expanded laterally and dorsally and is used as a resonating chamber - a unique feature among mammals.
Mountain pacas are hunted for their meat, which is high in calories and is considered a delicacy particularly in rural communities. Due to their quick growth, they may be bred in captivity for commercial use. However, they have a low reproductive capacity and their numbers have been significantly reduced in recent years due to hunting and habitat destruction. They are fairly abundant in protected areas.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Baillie (1996). Agouti taczanowskii. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006.
[edit] External links
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