Dasyprocta variegata
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The brown agouti (Dasyprocta variegata) is a species of agouti in the family Dasyproctidae that is native to portions of central or southeastern Peru, east to western Brazil (specifically within the administrative divisions of Acre, Amazonas, and Rondônia), south to a strip of Bolivia. It was originally regarded as conspecific with the Central American agouti (Dasyprocta punctata), but revised as distinct.
The brown agouti has an orange-brown body, with an average length of 61 cm (24.01 in), and a weight of 1.8 kg (3.96 lbs). Dark head, rump, and midline of the back. Peruvian individuals have a fairly different and distinctive coloration (see text below). The species is commonly preyed upon by the South American jaguar.
The brown agouti is known to reside near Brazil nut trees (Bertholletia excelsa) in forested cover, and around gardens, or plantations. The brown agouti was previously regarded as a subspecies of the Central American agouti (Dasyprocta punctata), but has now been elevated to species status, for multivariate statistical analysis and morphological differences have revealed such. Although there is evidence for a species elevation, most authorities still... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 2 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leipzig Zoological Garden | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Zoologischer Garten Leipzig | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Senda Verde (Wildlife Sanctuary) | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 4 | Zoológico de Fauna Sudamericana | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 5 | Odsherred Zoo | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 6 | Zoologico Mundo Andino - Tipon | 🇵🇪 Peru |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Agouti sighting in Manu National Park on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 16th most-seen of the 42 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Agouti in Manu National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, April and December, the lowest months. That is one of Manu National Park's driest months, with about 90 mm of rain against 290 mm in February.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Brown Agouti sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Brown Agouti sightings, Manu National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%. The best odds are in Tambopata National Reserve (Peru, about 30%).
Same order: Rodentia
The closest relatives of the Brown Agouti that you can see in Manu National Park (order Rodentia, Rodents) are Capybara (about 40%), Spotted Paca (about 10%) and Bolivian Squirrel (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Brown Agouti is recorded against all the mammals logged in Manu National Park (20 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
