Cuniculus paca

(Linnaeus, 1766)

Lowland Paca

Taxonomy

Subclass : Theria
Infraclass : Placentalia
Magnorder : Boreoeutheria
Superorder : Euarchontoglires
Order : Rodentia
Suborder : Hystricomorpha
Infraorder : Hystricognathi
Superfamily : Cavioidea
Family : Cuniculidae
Genus : Cuniculus

Species status

Living
Found in the wild
Listed in MSW3 2005

Authority citation

Linnaeus, C. 1766. Systema Naturæ per Regna Tria Naturæ, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Tomus I. Editio Duodecima, Reformata. Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm, 532 pp.

Original name as described

Mus Paca

Other common names

Paca · Spotted Paca

Type locality

"Brasilia [= Brazil], Guiana." Restricted by N. Hollister in 1913 to "French Guiana."

Biogeographic realm

Neotropic

Country distribution

Mexico · Belize · Guatemala · Honduras · El Salvador · Nicaragua · Costa Rica · Panama · Colombia · Venezuela · Trinidad and Tobago · Guyana · Suriname · French Guiana · Ecuador · Peru · Brazil · Bolivia · Paraguay · Uruguay · Argentina

Taxonomy notes

includes silvagarciae (name may be unavailable?)

Taxonomy notes citation

van Roosmalen, M. G. (2015). Hotspot of new megafauna found in the Central Amazon (Brazil): the lower Rio Aripuanã Basin. Biodiversity Journal, 6, 219-244. · Pine, R. H., & Gutiérrez, E. E. (2018). What is an ‘extant'type specimen? Problems arising from naming mammalian species‐group taxa without preserved types. Mammal Review, 48(1), 12-23.

IUCN Red List status

Least Concern

Country distribution map

The map below provides a general overview. Most species inhabit only specific regions within countries. Hover over the highlighted regions to see the country name.

Names and synonyms

Present and past (if available) associated names to the species. Click on a name to view its details. If the list is long, scroll down to see more.

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