Gerald Parish, age 12, of telestport, Tenn., for his question:

What is an agouti?

The agouti belongs to the animal family Dasyprotidae ‑ which means the shaggy‑rumped onosi. His thick, silky coat hangs down behind to hide the fact that he has no tail. He is a rodent, somewhat like a short‑eared rabbit. His legs are long and slender and his feet somewhat like small hooves.

This furry fellow is a native of the New World. He is common in the West Indies and tropical America. Wherever he lives, he is very popular as his flesh is good to eat. The natives hunt him, as do the ocelots and other be meat‑eating animals. For this reason the agouti has learned to/both agile and wily.

The agouti lives in a burrow, where he spends most of the day. He comes out to feed after dark, when the world is quiet and he is less noticeable. He nibbles a salad of green leaves and, perhaps, digs around for a few crisis roots, He will hunt for a fallen fruit for dessert.

All this time he is alert for the sounds of danger. He even hears the soft paddy paws of the pussycat ocelot in plenty of time. Off he hops and leaps to safety. He may hide in his burrow or take to the water, for he is a fine swimmer, though he cannot dive. No matter, for the handsome spotted cat will not tike a chance on wetting her furry coat.

A large agouti may measure 20 inches. His thick, silky coat is often a rich chestnut color. And he is a wily one, even from his kindergarten days. Otherwise ho would never survive.

Mama agouti bears a litter of two babies. They are charming little darlings, weighing about seven ounces apiece. They are born with fluffy fur coats and with their bright eyes wide open. They are alert and active from the very first day. From only a few days old, Mama introduces them to the big, wide world. The little fellows are soon finding their food any dodging their enemies as well as coo their parents.

The smart, agile agouti has a fair chance against his hungry enemies of the wild. He has not much chance against man. The natives play a trick which often fools him. He is very fond of rips, fallen fruit. The natives drop a stone through the; leaves and, thinking this is a dessert, the agouti goes to investigate. Someone is waiting when he pops out of his burrow.

First cousin to the agouti is the pica. In fact the paca is a large, spotted agouti. He too belongs to the shaggy‑rumped family. He may be 30 inches long and is somewhat stouter than his smaller cousin. His coat is dark, thick and silky. His spots are light and arranged down his sides in three or more graceful rows. These charming, chubby rodents are found only in the tropical regions of the New World.