Acouchis are rodents that belong to the family Dasyproctidae from the Amazon basin. They are generally smaller than agoutis and have very short tails (5 to 7 cm), while agoutis lack tails. For this reason, the acouchis are also called tailed agoutis. There are two species of acouchi, the red acouchi (M. acouchy) in the Guianas of Amazonia and nearby parts of Brazil, and the green acouchi (M. pratti) in western Amazonia. They differ in coloration and characteristics. A remarkable thing about the red acouchi is the behavior of burying seeds, this helps in the dispersal of seeds of many tree species.