Lowland Paca Skull Replica

Description

Lowland paca skull replica measures 5.2 x 5.5 x 3.2 inches. The Cuniculus paca skull is a museum-quality polyurethane resin cast from California Academy of Sciences specimen. 2-part skull (separate cranium and mandible). 1:1 scale. Made in USA.

The lowland paca is a ground-dwelling, herbivorous rodent of South and Central America. Pacas originated in South America. They represent one of the few mammals that successfully emigrated to North America after the Great American Interchange 3 million years ago.

Pacas are large rodents with dots and stripes on their sides, short ears, and barley visible tails. Pacas reach 20 to 30 inches in length and weigh 13 to 31 pounds. They rank as the sixth-largest rodents in the world. Similar to guinea pigs, they have square heads, and virtually invisible tails.

With large hind limbs, small fore limbs, and cone-shaped bodies, they look similar to chevrotains.

People eat pacas in Belize, where they know them as gibnut. After it was served to Queen Elizabeth II, it received the nickname of the royal rat.

Scientific Classification

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Rodentia
• Infraorder: Hystricognathi
• Parvorder: Caviomorpha
• Superfamily: Cavioidea
• Family: Cuniculidae
• Genus: Cuniculus
• Species: C. paca
• Binomial name: Cuniculus paca Miller & Gidley, 1918
• Conservation Status: Least concern

Lola, the lowland paca skull replica, is getting ready to go on a pack trip. Her owner is so kind and placed balloons in her pack saddle.

Cap, the capybara male skull replica, loves her owner for being so kind to Lola.

Sprout, the agouti skull replica, made Lola an extra special breakfast this morning. It is a family recipe and has oats, honey, and a splash of whiskey in it. She poured the dough into cupcake wrappers with a balloon print on them.

Nutty, the nutria skull replica, sprinkled nuts on top of the cupcakes as a last-minute surprise for Lola.