Dasyproctidae

 ( Caviomorpha ) 

Dasyproctidae, from Ancient Greek δασύς ( dasús), meaning "hair", and πρωκτός ( prōktós), meaning "anus", is a family of large , comprising the and . Their fur is a reddish or dark colour above, with a paler underside. They are herbivore, often feeding on ripe fruit that falls from trees. They live in burrows, and, like , will bury some of their food for later use.

Dasyproctids exist in Central and South America, which are the tropical parts of the New World. The fossil record of this family can be traced back to the Late Oligocene (Deseadan in the SALMA classification).

As with all rodents, members of this family have incisors, pre-molars, and molars, but no canines. The cheek teeth are hypsodonty and flat-crowned.

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Classification Fossil taxa follow McKenna and Bell,

(1997). 9780231110136, Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231110136

with modifications following Kramarz.

• Family Dasyproctidae
• Genus † Alloiomys
• Genus † Australoprocta
• Genus † Branisamys
• Genus † Incamys
• Genus † Neoreomys
• Genus † Megastus
• Genus † Palmiramys
• Genus Dasyprocta
• Azara's agouti, D. azarae
• Coiban agouti, D. coibae
• Crested agouti, D. cristata
• Black agouti, D. fuliginosa
• Orinoco agouti, D. guamara
• Kalinowski's agouti, D. kalinowskii
• Red-rumped agouti, D. leporina
• Mexican agouti, D. mexicana
• Black-rumped agouti, D. prymnolopha
• Central American agouti, D. punctata
• Ruatan Island agouti, D. ruatanica
• Genus Myoprocta
• Green acouchi, M. pratti
• Red acouchi, M. acouchy

The (genus Cuniculus) are placed by some authorities in Dasyproctidae, but molecular studies have demonstrated they do not form a Monophyly group.

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External links

• Central American agouti at Smithsonian
• Dasyproctidae at Animaldiversity.org
• 2014 - Figueira et al. - Carrion consumption by Dasyprocta leporina (Rodentia: Dasyproctidae) and a review of meat use by agoutis

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