There are ten species of agouti which are part of the family Dasyproctidae. They live primarily in South America and are prey to carnivores like foxes and ocelots. They and other rodents like them are the South American ecological equivalent of the ungulate herbivores in Africa. They are orange to brown colored with a contrasting rump color.
Agoutis live mainly on fallen fruits, attracted to them by the sound of the ripe fruit hitting the ground.

A*gou"ti, A*gou"ty (#), n. [F. agouti, acouti, Sp. aguti, fr. native name.] Zool.

A rodent of the genus Dasyprocta, about the size of a rabbit, peculiar to South America and the West Indies. The most common species is the Dasyprocta agouti.

 

© Webster 1913.