CUNICULIDAE
Pacas
Two species in a single genus: Cuniculus
Both species are represented in the Zoochat galleries.
Taxonomic note 1: the name Agoutidae has also been used for this family due to the generic name in former use being Agouti. The currently-accepted generic name Cuniculus has priority over Agouti (1762 versus 1799) but due to issues surrounding the original publication of the generic name it wasn't ruled valid by the ICZN until 1998, after which the use of Agouti was discontinued.
Taxonomic note 2: in 2010 a new species of mountain paca, Cuniculus hernandezi, was described from the Colombian Andes as a split from C. taczanowskii. The name has been argued as a nomen nudum, and I have left it off the list below as it doesn't seem to be accepted as a genuine species by most authorities.
Lowland Paca Cuniculus paca
Five subspecies: guanta, mexianae, nelsoni, paca, virgata
Photo by @Joker1706 at Duisburg Zoo, Germany (unknown subspecies)
Lowland paca | ZooChat
Photo by @Giant Eland at Parque Zoologico Huachipa, Peru (presumably the Peruvian subspecies guanta)
2013 Huachipa | ZooChat
Photo by @carlos55 at Zoologico de San Juan de Aragon, Mexico (Mexican subspecies nelsoni)
mexican paca san juan de aragon zoo | ZooChat
Mountain Paca Cuniculus taczanowskii
Generally treated as monotypic, although "C. hernandezi" would suggest this to not be the case.
Photo by @Giant Eland at Parque Jaime Duque, Colombia
Parque Jaime Duque 2012 | ZooChat
Pacas
Two species in a single genus: Cuniculus
Both species are represented in the Zoochat galleries.
Taxonomic note 1: the name Agoutidae has also been used for this family due to the generic name in former use being Agouti. The currently-accepted generic name Cuniculus has priority over Agouti (1762 versus 1799) but due to issues surrounding the original publication of the generic name it wasn't ruled valid by the ICZN until 1998, after which the use of Agouti was discontinued.
Taxonomic note 2: in 2010 a new species of mountain paca, Cuniculus hernandezi, was described from the Colombian Andes as a split from C. taczanowskii. The name has been argued as a nomen nudum, and I have left it off the list below as it doesn't seem to be accepted as a genuine species by most authorities.
Lowland Paca Cuniculus paca
Five subspecies: guanta, mexianae, nelsoni, paca, virgata
Photo by @Joker1706 at Duisburg Zoo, Germany (unknown subspecies)
Lowland paca | ZooChat
Photo by @Giant Eland at Parque Zoologico Huachipa, Peru (presumably the Peruvian subspecies guanta)
2013 Huachipa | ZooChat
Photo by @carlos55 at Zoologico de San Juan de Aragon, Mexico (Mexican subspecies nelsoni)
mexican paca san juan de aragon zoo | ZooChat
Mountain Paca Cuniculus taczanowskii
Generally treated as monotypic, although "C. hernandezi" would suggest this to not be the case.
Photo by @Giant Eland at Parque Jaime Duque, Colombia
Parque Jaime Duque 2012 | ZooChat