MammalBase - Accepted taxon: Cuniculus paca

Accepted taxon: Cuniculus paca
Taxon:	Cuniculus paca
Rank:	Species
Higher Classification:	RODENTIA \| HYSTRICOMORPHA \| HYSTRICOGNATHI \| Cuniculidae \| Cuniculus
Reference:	Wilson, Don E., and DeeAnn M. Reeder, eds. Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed), JHU Press, 2005.

Fig.1 - Ternary plot of the proximate analysis for the Cuniculus paca diet.
CF (Crude Fibre) 16, ASH (Ash contents) 10, NFE (Nitrogen-Free-Extract) 59, CP (Crude Protein) 11, EE (Ether Extract) 4. See details for the calculations in Lintulaakso, K., Tatti, N. and Žliobaitė, I., 2022. Quantifying mammalian diets. Mammalian Biology, pp.1-15. [DOI]

Table 1. List of Diet Items for Cuniculus paca.
TSN Complete name	Part	Ratio ^a.	Reference(s)
Magnoliopsida	FRUIT	40.48	Damuth, J…
Magnoliopsida	SHOOT	25.00	Damuth, J…
Cactaceae	SHOOT	16.67	Damuth, J…
Magnoliopsida	LEAF	7.14	Grzimek,B…
Magnoliopsida	BUD	5.36	Grzimek,B…
Magnoliopsida	FLOWER	3.57	Grzimek,B…
Fungi	SHOOT	1.79	Grzimek,B…

^a. Standardized values. See details for the calculations in Lintulaakso, K., Tatti, N. and Žliobaitė, I., 2022. Quantifying mammalian diets. Mammalian Biology, pp.1-15. [DOI]

Table 2. List of Standard Traits for Cuniculus paca.
Trait	Selected Value	All Value(s)	Reference(s)
Temporal habits	nocturnal	nocturnal	– Rodrigo A. Medellin, 1994, 'Mammal Diversity and Conservation in the Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico', Conservation Biology, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 780-799
Dietary category: Miljutin 2009	Frugivore	Frugivore	– Arends, A. and McNab, B.K., 2001. The comparative energetics of ‘caviomorph’rodents. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology, 130(1), pp.105-122., Brian K. McNab, 1986, 'The Influence of Food Habits on the Energetics of Eutherian Mammals', Ecological Monographs, vol. 56, no. 1, p. 1, Ferreira, J., Rinderknecht, A., de Moura Bubadué, J., Gasparetto, L., Dozo, M., Sánchez-Villagra, M., Kerber, L. 2024. Unveiling the neuroanatomy of Josephoartigasia monesi and the evolution of encephalization in caviomorph rodents. Brain Structure and Function. None(None), pp.None. Available at: 10.1007/s00429-024-02762-y., John G. Robinson, Kent H. Redford, 1986, 'Body Size, Diet, and Population Density of Neotropical Forest Mammals', The American Naturalist, vol. 128, no. 5, p. 665, Paglia,A. P., 2012, Lista Anotada dos Mamíferos do Brasil 2ª Edição Annotated Checklist of Brazilian Mammals 2nd Edition, Rodrigo A. Medellin, 1994, 'Mammal Diversity and Conservation in the Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico', Conservation Biology, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 780-799
Locomotion: Eisenberg 1981	Terrestrial	Terrestrial	– Arends, A. and McNab, B.K., 2001. The comparative energetics of ‘caviomorph’rodents. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology, 130(1), pp.105-122., Brian K. McNab, 1986, 'The Influence of Food Habits on the Energetics of Eutherian Mammals', Ecological Monographs, vol. 56, no. 1, p. 1, Ferreira, J., Rinderknecht, A., de Moura Bubadué, J., Gasparetto, L., Dozo, M., Sánchez-Villagra, M., Kerber, L. 2024. Unveiling the neuroanatomy of Josephoartigasia monesi and the evolution of encephalization in caviomorph rodents. Brain Structure and Function. None(None), pp.None. Available at: 10.1007/s00429-024-02762-y., Paglia,A. P., 2012, Lista Anotada dos Mamíferos do Brasil 2ª Edição Annotated Checklist of Brazilian Mammals 2nd Edition, Rodrigo A. Medellin, 1994, 'Mammal Diversity and Conservation in the Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico', Conservation Biology, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 780-799
Dietary category: Eisenberg 1981	Frugivore-Granivore	Frugivore-Granivore, Frugivore-Herbivore	– Arends, A. and McNab, B.K., 2001. The comparative energetics of ‘caviomorph’rodents. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology, 130(1), pp.105-122., Brian K. McNab, 1986, 'The Influence of Food Habits on the Energetics of Eutherian Mammals', Ecological Monographs, vol. 56, no. 1, p. 1, Ferreira, J., Rinderknecht, A., de Moura Bubadué, J., Gasparetto, L., Dozo, M., Sánchez-Villagra, M., Kerber, L. 2024. Unveiling the neuroanatomy of Josephoartigasia monesi and the evolution of encephalization in caviomorph rodents. Brain Structure and Function. None(None), pp.None. Available at: 10.1007/s00429-024-02762-y., John G. Robinson, Kent H. Redford, 1986, 'Body Size, Diet, and Population Density of Neotropical Forest Mammals', The American Naturalist, vol. 128, no. 5, p. 665, Paglia,A. P., 2012, Lista Anotada dos Mamíferos do Brasil 2ª Edição Annotated Checklist of Brazilian Mammals 2nd Edition, Rodrigo A. Medellin, 1994, 'Mammal Diversity and Conservation in the Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico', Conservation Biology, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 780-799

Table 3. List of Standard Measurements for Cuniculus paca.
Measurement	Location	Unit	n Total	n Unknown	n Female	n Male	Min	Mean	Max	SD	Reference(s)
Body Mass (BM)	nan	g	3	-	3	-	-	6,375	-	-	Nelson, A…
Body Mass (BM)	nan	g	-	-	-	-	-	8,825	-	-	Ferreira,…
Body Mass (BM)	New World	g	-	-	-	-	-	9,156	-	-	Arends, A…
Body Mass (BM)	nan	g	-	-	-	-	3,627	-	14,000	-	Freudenth…
Body Mass (BM)	nan	g	2	2	-	-	-	6,650	-	-	Engelman,…
Body Mass (BM)	nan	g	4	-	-	4	-	6,995	-	-	Nelson, A…
Body Mass (BM)	Brazil	g	-	-	-	-	-	9,300	-	-	Paglia,A.…
Head-Body Length (HBL)	nan	mm	-	-	-	-	-	700.15	-	-	Engelman,…
Head-Body Length (HBL)	nan	mm	4	-	-	4	-	600	-	-	Nelson, A…
Head-Body Length (HBL)	nan	mm	3	-	3	-	-	627	-	-	Nelson, A…
Occipital condyle width (OCW)	nan	mm	2	2	-	-	-	27.07	-	-	Engelman,…

Table 4. List of other Measurements ^b. for Cuniculus paca.
Measurement	Location	Unit	n Total	n Unknown	n Female	n Male	Min	Mean	Max	SD	Reference(s)
brainmass	nan	g	-	-	-	-	-	35	-	-	Engelman,…
skull_length	nan	mm	-	-	-	-	-	155	-	-	Engelman,…
BMR (kJ/h)	nan	kJ/h	-	-	-	-	-	55	-	-	McNab, B.…
femur circumference	nan	mm	-	-	-	-	-	32	-	-	Nelson, A…
femur diameter	nan	mm	-	-	-	-	-	8	-	-	Nelson, A…
humerus circumference	nan	mm	-	-	-	-	-	24	-	-	Nelson, A…
humerus diameter	nan	mm	-	-	-	-	-	6	-	-	Nelson, A…
neck length	nan	mm	-	-	-	-	-	59	-	-	Nelson, A…
BMR,mlO2/h	nan	mlO2/h	1	1	-	-	-	2,747	-	-	Genoud, M…
BCL, basicranial length	nan	mm	2	2	-	-	30	31	33	2	Ferreira,…
DL, diastema length	nan	mm	2	2	-	-	44	45	46	1	Ferreira,…
FW, frontal width	nan	mm	2	2	-	-	50	53	55	3	Ferreira,…
IW, incisor width	nan	mm	2	2	-	-	8	9	11	2	Ferreira,…
RL, rostral length	nan	mm	2	2	-	-	46	62	78	16	Ferreira,…
skull, condyle-basal length of the skull	nan	mm	2	2	-	-	126	130	134	4	Ferreira,…
TL, total length of skull	nan	mm	2	2	-	-	143	144	145	1	Ferreira,…
Upper T, Upper incisor transverse diameter	nan	mm	2	2	-	-	3	4	4	0	Ferreira,…
UTRW, Upper tooth row length	nan	mm	2	2	-	-	28	28	28	0	Ferreira,…
ZL, zygomatic arc length	nan	mm	2	2	-	-	87	91	94	4	Ferreira,…

^b. other Measurements. Source Measurements which are not listed on or mapped with the Standard Traits..

Table 5. List of Data Sources for Cuniculus paca.
Taxon	Reference	Match	Status
Agouti paca	Robinson,John G., 1986, Body Size, Diet, and Population Density of Neotropical Forest Mammals, The American Naturalist	150: Genus synonym, same species epithet	Verified - Accepted
Agouti paca	McNab,B. K., 1986, The influence of food habits on the energetics of eutherian mammals, Ecological Monographs	150: Genus synonym, same species epithet	Verified - Accepted
Agouti paca	Damuth, J. 2010. ABSOLUT 6 a mammalian database compiled by the national center for ecological analysis and synthesis (NCEAS ) workshop on mammalian communities.	150: Genus synonym, same species epithet	Verified - Accepted
Cuniculus paca	Paglia,A. P., 2012, Lista Anotada dos MamÃƒÂferos do Brasil 2Ã‚Âª EdiÃƒÂ§ÃƒÂ£o Annotated Checklist of Brazilian Mammals,	1: Exact Taxon match	Verified - Accepted
Agouti paca	MedellÃƒÂn,R. A., 1994, Mammal diversity and conservation in the Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico, Conservation Biology	150: Genus synonym, same species epithet	Verified - Accepted
Agouti paca	Arends,A., 2001, The comparative energetics of Ã¢â‚¬ËœcaviomorphÃ¢â‚¬â„¢rodents, Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology-Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology	150: Genus synonym, same species epithet	Verified - Accepted
Agouti paca	Grzimek,B., 2003, Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia: Mammals I-V,	150: Genus synonym, same species epithet	Verified - Accepted
Cuniculus paca	Engelman, R.K., 2022. Occipital condyle width (OCW) is a highly accurate predictor of body mass in therian mammals. BMC biology, 20(1), p.37.	1: Exact Taxon match	Verified - Accepted
Cuniculus paca	McNab, B.K., 2008. An analysis of the factors that influence the level and scaling of mammalian BMR. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology, 151(1), pp.5-28.	1: Exact Taxon match	Verified - Accepted
Cuniculus paca	Nelson, A., Engelman, R.K. and Croft, D.A., 2023. How to weigh a fossil mammal? South American notoungulates as a case study for estimating body mass in extinct clades. Journal of Mammalian Evolution, 30(3), pp.773-809.	1: Exact Taxon match	Verified - Accepted
Cuniculus paca	Genoud, M., Isler, K. and Martin, R.D., 2018. Comparative analyses of basal rate of metabolism in mammals: data selection does matter. Biological Reviews, 93(1), pp.404-438.	1: Exact Taxon match	Verified - Accepted
Cuniculus paca	Ferreira, J.D., Rinderknecht, A., de Moura Bubadué, J., Gasparetto, L.F., Dozo, M.T., Sánchez-Villagra, M.R. and Kerber, L., 2024. Unveiling the neuroanatomy of Josephoartigasia monesi and the evolution of encephalization in caviomorph rodents. Brain Structure and Function, pp.1-15.	1: Exact Taxon match	Verified - Accepted
Cuniculus paca	Freudenthal, M. and Martín-Suárez, E., 2013. Estimating body mass of fossil rodents. Scripta Geologica, 145, pp.1-513.	1: Exact Taxon match	Verified - Accepted
Cuniculus paca	Beaudrot, L., Acevedo, M.A., Gorczynski, D. and Harris, N.C., 2024. Geographic differences in body size distributions underlie food web connectance of tropical forest mammals. Scientific Reports, 14(1), pp.1-10.	1: Exact Taxon match	Verified - Accepted
Cuniculus paca	Rowan, J., Beaudrot, L., Franklin, J., Reed, K.E., Smail, I.E., Zamora, A. and Kamilar, J.M., 2020. Geographically divergent evolutionary and ecological legacies shape mammal biodiversity in the global tropics and subtropics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(3), pp.1559-1565.	1: Exact Taxon match	Verified - Accepted

Citation for this page: [The MammalBase community 2026. / CC BY 4.0. http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7462864 Cuniculus paca , Accessed 16th April 2026 at https://mammalbase.net/me/9986]