Editing Lowland paca (section)

== Description ==
[[File:Die vergleichende Osteologie (1821) Cuniculus paca.jpg|thumb|Skeleton]]
[[File:Paca skull. Cuniculus paca 01.jpg|thumb|Skull of a lowland paca]]
The lowland paca has coarse fur without underfur, dark brown to black on the upper body and white or yellowish on the underbelly. It usually has three to five rows of white spots along its sides, against a dark grey background. It has thick strong legs, with four digits in the forefeet and five in the hind feet (the first and fifth are reduced); the nails function as hooves. The tail is short and hairless. The [[zygomatic arch]] is expanded laterally and dorsally and is used as a [[Resonating chamber (anatomy)|resonating chamber]] - a unique feature among mammals.

An adult lowland paca weighs between {{convert|6|and|12|kg|lb}}. Each litter has one young lowland paca, sometimes two. They usually have one to three young a year with a gestation period of about 115–120 days. Pacas are sexually mature at about 1 year. A paca usually lives up to 13 years.

The lowland paca can carry [[leishmaniasis]] and [[trypanosomiasis]].<ref>{{Citation|title=Cuniculus paca: Emmons, L.|date=2016-03-01|doi=10.2305/iucn.uk.2016-2.rlts.t699a22197347.en|doi-access=free}}</ref>