Cuniculus paca
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~60%
The lowland paca (Cuniculus paca), also known as the spotted paca, is a species of rodent. It has coarse dark brown to black fur, a pale underbelly, and typically 3–5 rows of white spots along its sides. Adults weigh 6 to 12 kilograms (13 to 26 lb). Its zygomatic arch is expanded laterally and dorsally to form a resonating chamber, a feature unique among mammals.
Lowland pacas are primarily nocturnal and solitary. They inhabit forested areas near water, live in burrows, and are strong swimmers that commonly enter the water to escape danger. Their diet consists mainly of plant material, including fruit, seeds, nuts, roots, and tubers, and they act as seed distributors.
Lowland pacas are hunted for their meat and can be agricultural pests, feeding on crops, including yam, cassava, sugar cane, and maize. Their numbers have been reduced by hunting and habitat destruction, although they remain plentiful in protected habitats.
The animal is called paca in most of its range, but tepezcuintle (original Aztec language name) in most of Mexico and Central America, tepesquintle in Guatemala, guardatinaja in Nicaragua, pisquinte in northern Costa Rica, tepezcuinte in... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darién National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 2 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 3 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 4 | Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 6 | Tijuca National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | Soberanía National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 8 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 9 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rio de Janeiro | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | San José | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beijing Zoo | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 2 | Yaroslavl Zoo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 3 | Bioparque Municipal Vesty Pakos | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 4 | Amaru | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 5 | Parque de las Leyendas | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 6 | Zoopark Limpopo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 7 | Zoológico de Fauna Sudamericana | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 8 | Elmwood Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Papiliorama | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | |
| 10 | Buenaventura Zoo | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 11 | El Nispero Zoo | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 12 | 蘭陽動植物王國 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 13 | Тульский экзотариум (новая экспозиция) | 🇷🇺 Russia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Paca sighting in Manu National Park on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 20th 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 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Paca in Manu National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, April–May, July and November, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spotted Paca sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
2nd of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Spotted Paca sightings, Manu National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Darién National Park (Panama, about 20%).
Same order: Rodentia
The closest relatives of the Spotted Paca that you can see in Manu National Park (order Rodentia, Rodents) are Capybara (about 40%), Brown Agouti (about 20%) 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 Spotted Paca is recorded against all the mammals logged in Manu National Park (15 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.
