Acouchi

/əˈkuːtʃi/ noun

Definition

A small South American rodent (genus Myoprocta) resembling a guinea pig or agouti, with long hind legs for hopping.

Etymology

From Tupi akutsi or similar Amazonian language term. The word entered English in the 17th-18th centuries through contact with indigenous peoples of South America.

Kelly Says

Acouchis are basically the hoppy cousins of guinea pigs—they bounce around the Amazon rainforest like tiny kangaroos and were probably kept as pets by indigenous peoples long before Europeans even knew they existed.

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