Central American Agouti
Dasyprocta punctata
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderRodentia (Rosegadors)
- FamilyDasyproctidae (Agoutis and Acouchis)
- GenusDasyprocta (Agoutis)
- SpeciesDasyprocta punctata (Central American Agouti)
The Central American agouti (Dasyprocta punctata) is a species of agouti from the family Dasyproctidae. The main portion of its range is from Chiapas and the Yucatan Peninsula (southern Mexico), through Central America, to northwestern Ecuador, Colombia and far western Venezuela. A highly disjunct population is found in southeastern Peru, far southwestern Brazil, Bolivia, western Paraguay and far northwestern Argentina. The disjunct population has been treated as a separate species, the brown agouti (Dasyprocta variegata), but a major review of the geographic variation is necessary. The Central American agouti has also been introduced to Cuba and the Cayman Islands. Though some populations are reduced due to hunting and deforestation, large populations remain and it is not considered threatened. Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Central American Agouti sighting in Braulio Carrillo National Park, based on 38 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Braulio Carrillo National Park
Variegated Squirrel
Sciurus variegatoides
Mexican Hairy Dwarf Porcupine
Sphiggurus mexicanus
Sumichrast's Vesper Rat
Nyctomys sumichrasti
Red-tailed Squirrel
Sciurus granatensis
Armored Rat
Hoplomys gymnurus
Spotted Paca
Cuniculus paca
Central American Dwarf Squirrel
Microsciurus alfari
Alston's Brown Mouse
Scotinomys teguina
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Central American Agouti in Braulio Carrillo National Park?
About 21% of wildlife watchers report a Central American Agouti sighting in Braulio Carrillo National Park, based on 38 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Central American Agouti in Braulio Carrillo National Park?
June has the highest sighting rate for Central American Agouti in Braulio Carrillo National Park in our monthly data.