One of the 2 hutias on WAnimals
Mammals · Rodentia · Capromyidae
Cuvier's Hutia
Plagiodontia aedium
It faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. See full glossary
The Hispaniolan hutia is one of only two native land mammals surviving on the island, along with the solenodon. It is an arboreal caviomorph rodent with a greyish brown coat and a non-prehensile tail, which spends the day in tree hollows and caves and comes out at night to eat leaves, bark and fruit. Hutias were once a diverse group in the Caribbean, with dozens of species, almost all of them extinct after the arrival of people and the animals they brought with them.
Weight
1 kg – 1.3 kg
Size
30 cm – 40 cm
Lifespan
10 years
Diet
Herbivore
Feeds mainly on plants.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Sighting difficulty
Hard
Fun facts
- It is one of only two native land mammals left on Hispaniola: the rest of the Caribbean species in its group died out after colonisation, and with them went much of the original fauna of the Antilles.
- Its greatest threat comes from introduced mongooses, rats, dogs and cats: a predator fauna the island never had and against which it evolved no defences.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Moist and dry forest, karst scrub and plantations on the island of Hispaniola
- Sexual maturity
- 12 months
- Gestation / incubation
- 3.9 months
- Litter / clutch size
- 1
Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/
Where to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Cuvier's Hutia — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Hispaniolan Solenodon
Solenodon paradoxus
Hispaniolan Rhinoceros Iguana
Cyclura cornuta
Jamaican Fruit-eating Bat
Artibeus jamaicensis
Cuban Treefrog
Osteopilus septentrionalis
Hispaniola Boa
Chilabothrus striatus
Hispaniolan Amazon
Amazona ventralis
How to help
The cuvier's hutia is classified as endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 2 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about cuvier's hutia.
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