The pelage is usually quite coarse and glossy, with the longest and thickest hairs on the posterior part of the back. In most forms the general coloration of the upper parts ranges from pale orange through several shades of brown to almost black. The underparts are generally whitish, yellowish, or buffy. In some forms slight stripes may be present, and in others the rump color contrasts with the color of the remainder of the back. The body form is slender, the ears are short, and the hind foot has three toes with hooflike claws.
Females have four pairs of ventral mammae.
Agoutis are found in forests, thick brush, savannahs, and cultivated areas. Agoutis live closely associated with water, but they are to be found on the banks of all types of streams, down to the merest runnel, and are therefore more widespread and common than pacas. In some areas Dasyprocta constructs burrows among limestone boulders, along riverbanks, or under the roots of trees. Well-defined paths radiate out from the shelters of Dasyprocta. Agoutis are basically diurnal, but in areas where they have been molested by people they may not leave their shelters until dusk.