The humpback hare is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. Its other name is "agouti", and in Latin - Dasyprocta. Outwardly similar to a guinea pig, but its limbs are much longer. The average weight of this animal is about 4 kg, and the body length is about 0.6 m.
The agouti's back is convex, rounded, one might say humpbacked (hence the name). The head is oblong with rounded small ears. The tail is curly. There are only three divided long fingers on the hind limbs, and four on the shorter forelimbs with the rudiment of the fifth. The humpback hare has a hard, short, but thick and glossy coat. The color of the back and limbs can be from golden to black, but the belly is always light. The teeth are well developed, especially the front. Surprisingly, the upper incisors are red and the lower incisors are yellowish.
Agoutis live in small herds or in pairs. They settle on forest plains and in dense forests in the lower reaches of the rivers of Guiana, Brazil, Peru and Suriname. Burrows between stones along the banks of reservoirs are used as housing, and hollows under the roots are used for temporary stay. In the daytime, the humpback hare prefers to lie down in shelters, leaving them only with full confidence in safety. Fleeing,can swim some distance without ever diving.
The humpback hare comes out to feed only at sunset, in good weather it can prowl all night long. It feeds on nuts, seeds, juicy fruits, as well as certain herbs, which it eats whole, down to the roots. It holds food like a squirrel with its front paws. He hides everything half-eaten in reserve. Can climb a leaning tree for juicy fruit.
Agouti is a harmless animal, like the whole family. Many enemies lie in wait for rodents, such as large cats, Brazilian dogs and, of course, humans. The subtlety of smell and agility often save them from death. The animal, being in the thickets, is always on the alert. Sometimes he raises his front paw or leans on his elbows and listens. In case of danger, he is able to develop the highest speed from a place.
A humpback hare is similar in jumping to an antelope. What mode of transportation does he choose? And a gallop, and a trot, and a slow step are available to him. From a place it can jump 6 m in length and 2 m in height. With developed sense of smell and hearing
animal it has poor eyesight. It does not shine with mental abilities, although it is able to remember the area.
Agoutis are very prolific. During the rut, the males fight fiercely for the female, sometimes inflicting serious injuries on each other. She initially runs away from the winner, but he whistles after her until he gets his way.
Pregnant females are found at any time of the year. Typically there are two per year.litter, each of which has from 1 to 3 cubs. Rabbits are born sighted and large enough. The female feeds her offspring with milk for several weeks. When the cubs are older, she leads them for some more time, teaching them how to search for food and protecting them.
Agouti meat is valued little, can only be eaten as a last resort. The humpback hare can cause serious damage to banana and sugarcane plantations. In captivity, it can live up to 20 years, in the wild - much less.
