PHOTO VIA ORLANDO SCIENCE CENTER
A second red-rumped agouti baby was born at Orlando Science Center’s Life exhibit on December 13, making two births in the last six months. The newborn weighed 297 grams at birth and gained 150 grams in its first week, according to the Science Center, and a veterinary exam found the baby in good health. Staff report the baby is nursing every two to three hours and has begun sampling small pieces of whole fruits and vegetables.
Agoutis look like large guinea pigs and are native to Brazil, where they are the only known mammal capable of cracking open Brazil nuts. The Orlando Science Center announced the arrival of its first agouti baby last August.
Orlando Science Center said its agoutis are participating in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan, a cooperative program across AZA-accredited institutions designed to maintain healthy, genetically diverse animal populations under human care through coordinated breeding and transfer recommendations. The plan for the new baby mirrors what was laid out for the older sibling born this past summer: once the animal matures, it will be transferred to another participating institution to support the broader breeding program. Until then, the new baby will remain in the Life exhibit’s Rainforest habitat alongside its parents, while the older sister prepares for her own move.
