a large burrowing hystricomorph rodent, Cuniculus paca, of Central and South America, having white-spotted brown fur and a large head: family Dasyproctidae
Word origin
C17: from Spanish, from Tupi
paca in American English
(ˈpɑkə; ˈpækə)
noun
any of a genus (Cuniculus, family Dasyproctidae) of short-tailed or tailless burrowing, vegetarian rodents of South and Central America, with spotted brown fur and hooflike toes