PACA  , the Brazilian name for a large, heavily-built,

short-tailed rodent mammal, easily recognized by its spotted fur . This rodent, Coelogenys (or Agouti) paca, together with one or two other tropical American species, represents a genus near akin to the agoutis and included in the family Caviidae . Pacas may be distinguished from agoutis by their heavier and more compact build, the longitudinal rows of light spots on the fur, the five-toed hind-feet, and the peculiar structure of the skull, in which the cheek-bones are expanded to form large, capsules on the sides of the face, each enclosing a cavity opening on the side of the cheek . Their habits are very similar to those of agoutis, but when pursued they invariably take to the water . The young, of which seldom more than one is produced at a birth, remain in the burrows for several months . The flesh is eaten in Brazil . Males may be distinguished from females by the skull, in which the outer surface of the cheek-bones is roughened in the former and smooth in the latter sex . The paca-rana (Dinomys branicki), from the highlands of Peru, differs, among other features, by its well-developed tail and the arrangement of the Spots .