Paca and Agouti Mammal Calabash Christmas tree ornaments and hand rattles
These unique Christmas tree ornaments and rattles are made from calabash tree pods (gourds) by native artisans from the Ampiyacu River region of the Peruvian Amazon. These rattles feature an image of the paca and agouti - two common rainforest rodents.
The paca has a sleek brown coat contrasted with distinctive white dots and stripes. While it rests in underground burrows, it is a greater swimmer and prefers to live near water. The paca and agouti eat some insects, plant leaves, buds and flowers, but their main diet is fruit that has fallen onto the forest floor. They, therefore, help many rainforest trees reproduce by dispersing the seeds that pass through them or leaving stashes that germinate on their own.
Amazon forest people commonly hunt the paca and its smaller relative agouti for their meat - both to feed their family and sell in local markets. Some attempts have been made to raise pacas in captivity to satisfy a demand for this popular game meat.
This rattle has a chambira palm fiber chord allows it to be hung from a Christmas tree. The beads inside also make it a great rattle that fits in the palm of your hand.
Please remember that the artisan carves these rattles one at a time so the exact design of the animal and shape of the calabash pod may vary from the photo shown of this model.
Model: ORWM029 (paca); ORWM042 (agouti); ORWM017 (squirrel)
Support native artisans & rainforest in the Amazon
Amazon forest loss is driving species to extinction, aggravating global warming, and robbing people of unique medicines, foods and other benefits. Cutting and burning forests is often more profitable than conserving them, so some native communities in northern Peru have illegally logged and grown coca and other cash-crops to escape poverty.
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