Agoutis are about the size of a rabbit and can run very quickly when startled, dodging through the undergrowth with sharp zigzag turns. They are active in the daytime, which is unusual for small forest mammals. If you sit quietly in the Dominica forest, you might hear one rustling through dry leaves before you see it.
The agouti's most important job — though it does not know it is doing a job — is spreading seeds through the forest. Agoutis love eating hard-shelled seeds and nuts. When they find more than they can eat, they bury the extra ones in different spots to save for later. Because they cannot always remember where every buried seed is, many of those seeds eventually sprout into new trees.
Agoutis have very strong front teeth — strong enough to crack open a Brazil nut, which is one of the toughest nuts in the world. Their teeth never stop growing, which is why they need to gnaw on hard things to keep them the right length. They are related to other rodents like squirrels and guinea pigs.