Paca , common name for two species of large rodents found in forests from Mexico to central South America. The heavyset paca measures up to 80 cm (up to 31 in) long and weighs up to 12 kg (up to 26 lb). Its large head has bony cheek structures, and its brown fur is marked by white spots arranged in lines from front to rear. The animal lives in burrows near streams or marshy areas, and the usual litter of one or two young is born during the winter or early spring. Sometimes a second litter is born in July. The paca's flesh is considered delicious, and the possibility has been raised of breeding the animal for food purposes .