Paca

 

(Cuniculus Paca)

Spanish: Tepezcuintle. Belizean Creole: Gibnut, Royal Rat

 

Pacas belong to the rodent family. They are covered by a light brown coat and small white spots. They are the largest rodents found in Belize.  

Pacas are born in a hole covered with twigs and leaves for protection from predators. To invite the young out of the hole, the mother uses a low rolling sound. Suckling usually lasts for 90 days, after which the young weighs 8.8 pounds. Mothers care for their young sometimes for only as long as 8 weeks, but sometimes for more than 6 months.

Pacas are fossorial, meaning they dig their own or occupy existent borrows where they hide from predators and  sleep during the day. They ensure they construct several entrances and exits in their burrows to escape emergencies. Other species can also benefit by making microhabitats out of these existing burrows; this is why they are also considered ecosystem engineers.

Fun Facts

• The paca is famously known as the “royal rat”  because its meat was served to the Queen Elizabeth II when she visited Belize
• Pacas have an eye feature called tapetum lucidum that enhances their vision at night, allowing them to see well in darkness
• Like all rodents, pacas’ teeth continuously grow throughout their lifetimes; they constantly wear them down by grinding them, and by eating hard nuts and fruit
• In Belize they like to eat the nuts of the cohune palm
• Pacas practice enurination whereby the male paca urinates on the female paca to establish dominance.
• They are good swimmers and may even mate in water!
• Pacas are one of the most important prey for jaguars in Belize

Belize Zoo Trivia

Pacas are one of the highlights of “The Belize Zoo at Night!” tour, as they are almost never seen during the day. 

Conservation Efforts

Though pacas are listed as a species of least concern, there are still a few disturbing signs of possible decline in their population. This is due to over-hunting and habitat loss. In Belize, pacas are game species that can be hunted if regulations are followed. Open season for hunting pacas is from December to May. Pacas have an important effect on plant communities, the distribution and species variety. As seed dispersers, pacas are essential for the regeneration of fruiting and some palm species. The loss of pacas may mean the loss of certain trees.