LA SELVA-BRAULIO CARRILLO MAMMALS 



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Family Agoutidae 



Agouti paca 

 Paca, Tepezcuintle 



Pacas, the largest rodents in Costa Rica, are found from east-central Mexico 

 south through all of Costa Rica and the northern two-thirds of South America to 

 Paraguay, Uruguay, and southeastern Brazil (Fig. 101). Two subspecies are 

 recognized in Costa Rica: Agouti paca nelsoni in the northwest Guanacaste region 

 and A. p. virgatus throughout the rest of the country including La Selva. Due to 

 their nocturnal, secretive nature, and because they are a highly prized and heavily 

 hunted game species (Smythe 1983), they are rarely seen. 



Pacas are common, but no longer abundant members of the La Selva fauna. 

 They have been observed there year round. In June 1983, an adult and single juvenile 

 were observed, and a lone juvenile was seen on 8 July 1988. In the past few years, 

 sightings of pacas have increased at La Selva suggesting that the population is in- 

 creasing. Pacas feed on the seeds of Carapa guianensis (Meliaceae), a common 

 tree in swampy areas at La Selva, and they are one of the major vertebrate predators 

 of these seeds (McHargue and Hartshorn 1983). 



Pringle et al. (1984: 198) reported "We repeatedly saw tracks of Agouti paca 

 (paca), and once found a hunters' blind with paca hair beneath it on a ridge above 

 the Rio Sardinalito" in the Zona Protectora. 



Family Dasyproctidae 



Dasyprocta punctata 

 Agouti, Guatusa 



Agoutis occur from southern Mexico to extreme northern Argentina (Fig. 102). 

 Four subspecies of Dasyprocta punctata currently are recognized in Costa Rica 

 (Hall 1981), with a single subspecies, D. p. richmondi, found throughout the Carib- 

 bean lowlands, mid- and high-elevation slopes. Agoutis are found in Costa Rica 

 from sea level to high elevations; they occur at least as high as 2,400 m. 



Agoutis are territorial and primarily monogamous; however, when abundant 

 resources are available, a male may have two or more mates. Annually each mated 

 female produces a single highly precocious young (Smythe 1983). 



Agoutis are one of the most frequently observed mammals at La Selva. They 

 are abundant in the primary forest and may be seen from the trails nearly every 

 day. An adult and two young were seen in May 1981 and August 1983. Two were 

 seen copulating in November 1982. In September 1982, an agouti was seen run- 

 ning from a small felid, probably a margay (Felis wiedii). Agoutis have been 

 observed eating the fruits of Dipteryx panamensis and pejibaye palms, Bactris 

 gasipaes, at La Selva. Vandermeer et al. (1979:19) reported that agoutis were 

 observed eating the fruits of the palm Welfia georgii; the behavioral repertoire in- 

 cluded "picking up fruits from the ground, shucking them, eating the mesocarp 

 and either eating the seed, dropping it to the ground, or burying it." Seeds of two 

 other species of trees are heavily utilized by agoutis, Carapa guianensis and Matisia 

 ochrocalyx (Bombacaceae). For all these tree species, agoutis may serve both as 



