Orlando Science Center is now home to a baby red-rumped agouti, an animal recently born inside the “Life” exhibit at the Loch Haven Park museum.
The late July arrival was both a surprise and part of a bigger plan, said Shannon Zimmerman, curator of conservation and welfare. The addition is in conjunction with a Species Survival Plan developed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Already at Orlando Science Center were Stimpy, a male agouti moved from San Francisco, and Brooke, a female brought in from North Florida.
“They are both animals that were recommended to us to come together, to breed and, lo and behold, out of all of the animals within that SSP, these two actually were successful in it,” Zimmerman said. It was the first agouti to be born within the plan since 2020, she said.
The red-rumped agouti – also known as Brazilian agouti – is a rodent and most closely related to guinea pigs, Zimmerman said, but many people think they look like baby capybaras.
The gender of the newborn has not been determined yet. Its weight a few days after birth was 280 grams — just short of 10 ounces. By the end of August, the weight was 726 grams (1.6 pounds). The next exam and weigh-in is scheduled for next month.
The three agoutis have been on display since the July birth. Human visitors check out the mammals as do the neighboring tamarins.
“They were definitely inquisitive. They were checking baby out when it was first born. But no real challenge,” Zimmerman said. “It’s always just the food-management side of things that we’re trying to figure out.”
The tamarins enjoy the macadamia nuts given to the agouti, which have the rare ability to crack open a Brazil nut with their teeth. That makes them useful in the Brazilian rainforest, helping with dispersal and the growth of trees, Zimmerman said.
The newborn agouti and its mother explore the ‘Life’ exhibit at Orlando Science Center. (Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)
The “Life” exhibit opened in 2024 on the ground floor of the science center. It features distinct rainforest, swamp and ocean environments and is home to free-flying birds, fish, turtles, sharks, squirrels, a sloth and more.
The science center is in the Pathway Toward Membership program, an application process for AZA accreditations and certifications.
The newborn will be named after gender is determined, and that also will play a role in where the AZA sends the new agouti to continue its breeding program.
But it could be that parents Stimpy and Brooke have been busy agouti again.
“We have seen … breeding behaviors, we’ll call them … since this baby was born,” Zimmerman said. During Brooke’s last pregnancy, it wasn’t clear she was expecting until days before the birth. The science center generally has a hands-on care policy, so there were no sonograms or procedures.
“They have a very quick turnover rate, so mom could be pregnant already,” she said. “That would be great news.”
