[3][citation needed] The animal is called paca in most of its range, but tepezcuintle (original Aztec language name) in most of Mexico and Central America, tepesquintle in Guatemala, guardatinaja in Nicaragua, pisquinte in northern Costa Rica, jaleb in the Yucatán peninsula, conejo pintado in Panama, guanta in Ecuador, majás or picuro in Peru, jochi pintado in Bolivia, and boruga,[4] tinajo,[5] or guartinaja in Colombia.

It is also known as the gibnut in Belize, where it is prized as a game animal, labba in Guyana, lapa in Venezuela, and lappe on the island of Trinidad.

The lowland paca has coarse fur without underfur, dark brown to black on the upper body and white or yellowish on the underbelly.

It lives in forested habitats near water, preferably smaller rivers, and dig simple burrows about 2 m (6 ft 7 in) below the surface, usually with more than one exit.

Lowland paca also have necrophagy behavior, consuming carcasses of decomposing animals, possibly to supply protein demands of their diet.

[12] The lowland paca is considered an agricultural pest for yam, cassava, sugar cane, maize and other food crops.

Some of the lowland paca predators include ocelots, jaguars, coyotes, bush dogs, crocodiles, and boa constrictors.