
The Central American Agouti (Dasyprocta punctata) is a small rodent that looks similar to a guinea pig. Their favorite treats are nuts and seeds, and sometimes they store these treats in the ground to eat later. Sometimes agoutis forget about the nuts and seeds and they grow into a new plant. These forgetful rodents are like natural gardeners!
[Photo by Grace Davis and caption by Maggie Creamer]
Reference
Jansen, P. A., Hirsch, B. T., Emsens, W. J., Zamora-Gutierrez, V., Wikelski, M., & Kays, R. (2012). Thieving rodents as substitute dispersers of megafaunal seeds. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(31), 12610-12615.