Explanation: The agouti gets benefit by consuming the Brazil nuts , and in return, the agoutis bury and hide the extra nuts, and of these nuts, many of them take the form of a root and reload the stocks of Brazil nut trees again.
How do Brazil nuts rely on other species of the rainforest?
Brazil nut trees are sensitive to deforestation, and only seem to produce fruit in undisturbed forest. They depend on agoutis for seed dispersal, bees for pollination and other plants in the rainforest for their continued survival. If these other species disappear, so will the Brazil nut tree.
Why does the Brazil nut tree need the agouti?
One answer, it turns out, is the agouti — a small mammal that looks a bit like a large guinea pig. Agoutis have small, chisel-like teeth that can penetrate the Brazil nut's seed case. They eat some of the nuts. But, just as important, they carry away and bury others for future meals .
Do agouti eat Brazil nuts?
Where there are Brazil nuts, there are agoutis to eat them . Agoutis are smaller than their relatives the piglike pacas and larger than squirrels, which they resemble. Their large heads and bulging jaw muscles are the only hints of their power to shape the rain forest.
Do agouti eat bees?
The agouti isn't the only animal that Brazil nut trees need to survive. It appears that they also rely on certain bees , and even other plants, to reproduce.
What animals depend on the Brazil nut tree?
Once the Brazil nut pods are formed, the tree then depends on the agouti, a rodent , to distribute and actually plant the seeds. The agouti is one of the few animals capable of chewing through the very hard pod to reach the nuts inside.
What animals eat agoutis?
Predators: Hunters of the agouti include the jaguarundi, jaguar, ocelot, harpy eagle, large snakes , and people (who eat agouti).
Do agoutis eat bananas?
These rodents are herbivores, which means that they eat plants. Most of their diet consists of nuts, berries, and fruits .
How many Brazil nuts are there in each seed case?
Each pod holds 10 to 25 Brazil nuts , which are technically seeds, arranged inside a pod like sections inside an orange.
Why does a Brazil nut burn like a candle?
Brazil nuts may be high in calories (186 calories per ounce) and fat (up to of the castaña nut is pure oil, a fuel so concentrated that you can light a nut with a match and it will burn like a candle).
Why are agouti important?
The agouti, a forest-dwelling rodent, is a very important member of the rainforest community. ... The agoutis are known as “scatter hoarders.” This means that when food is plentiful, agouti will bury excess nuts and fruits in various places throughout their home range.
What is the home of an agouti?
Azara's agouti like to live in tree hollows and burrows under ground, like rabbits .
How long do Brazil nut trees live?
The Brazil nut is a large tree, reaching 50 m (160 ft) tall and with a trunk 1 to 2 m (3 ft 3 in to 6 ft 7 in) in diameter, making it among the largest of trees in the Amazon rainforest. It may live for 500 years or more , and can often reach a thousand years of age.
What does the Brazil nut tree need to survive?
Brazil nut trees are sensitive to deforestation, and only seem to produce fruit in undisturbed forest. They depend on agoutis for seed dispersal, bees for pollination and other plants in the rainforest for their continued survival.
What are Brazil nut trees called?
| Brazil nut tree | Subfamily: Lecythidoideae | Genus: Bertholletia Bonpl. | Species: B. excelsa | Binomial name |
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