A medium-sized rodent of Central and South America with a stocky body, reddish-brown fur, and a very short tail; related to guinea pigs.
From Tupi 'acuti' or 'agoti,' a native Brazilian name for the animal. The word entered European languages through Portuguese and Spanish contact with indigenous peoples.
The agouti is one of the few animals whose scientific name (Dasyprocta aguti) is based directly on an indigenous word—it's one of the best examples of how indigenous knowledge systems literally named the natural world before European science arrived!
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