A hutia is any of 26 species of Caribbean rodents in the family Capromyidae. Hutias have short limbs, stout bodies, large heads, small eyes and ears, prominent claws, and long whiskers. They range in size from the rat-sized dwarf hutia to Desmarest's Cuban hutia, which can be the size of a raccoon. Hutias are adept climbers that den in tree nests, tree trunk cavities, roots, rock crevices, caves, and holes in limestone. They can be active during the day or night, depending on the species. Their diet consists of roots, tubers, leaves, stems, and bark. Some species, like Desmarest’s Cuban hutia, will also eat small vertebrates. Hunting and habitat destruction have led to the extinction of hutias on many islands. Some species are endangered.

Where do hutias live in the wild?

Hutias live in various habitats, including swamp forests, coasts, and rocky, mountainous regions. They are adept climbers, dwelling in tree nests, tree trunk cavities, and rock crevices instead of burrows. Once found from sea level to high elevations, they are now mainly restricted to cays, steep ravines, or remote mountain valleys due to hunting and habitat destruction. Some species are diurnal, while others, like the long-tailed Cuban hutias, are nocturnal and arboreal, rarely descending from tree crowns.

What do hutias look like?

Hutias are Caribbean rodents with short limbs, stout bodies, large heads, small eyes and ears, prominent claws, and long whiskers. Their size varies from the rat-sized dwarf hutia (8 to 12 inches) to the raccoon-sized Desmarest’s Cuban hutia, which can grow from 12.5 to 23.5 inches long and weigh up to 19 pounds. Hutia tails range from short in Brown’s hutia to long and prehensile in the long-tailed Cuban hutia. Their fur ranges from soft to coarse, and their colors range from gray to brown to black, with lighter underparts. Most hutias are terrestrial, denning in tree nests, rock crevices, caves, and holes in limestone. They are adept climbers, and some species are nocturnal and arboreal, resembling tree squirrels.

Hutias are Caribbean rodents with short limbs, stout bodies, large heads, small eyes and ears, prominent claws, and long whiskers. Their size varies from the rat-sized dwarf hutia to the raccoon-sized Desmarest’s Cuban hutia. Hutias eat roots, tubers, leaves, stems, and bark. The Desmarest’s Cuban hutia also consumes small vertebrates. They get all the water they need from their food. Hutias are adept climbers, denning in tree nests, tree trunk cavities, rock crevices, caves, and limestone holes. Some species are diurnal, while others are nocturnal.

Are any species of hutia endangered?

Yes, some species of hutia are endangered. Hunting and habitat destruction have led to the extermination of hutias on various islands. The Puerto Rican hutia ( Isolobodon portoricensis ) is now extinct. Some hutia species are rare and becoming more so due to human population expansion and habitat destruction, especially in forests. Remaining populations are now primarily found in swamp forests, along coasts, and in rocky, mountainous habitats. Of the 22 species in the family Capromyidae, 9 are extinct. All four species in the three genera Hexolobodon, Isolobodon, and Rhizoplagiodontia are extinct.

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hutia

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Also known as: Capromyidae

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What is a hutia?
A hutia is any of 26 species of Caribbean rodents in the family Capromyidae. Hutias have short limbs, stout bodies, large heads, small eyes and ears, prominent claws, and long whiskers. They range in size from the rat-sized dwarf hutia to Desmarest's Cuban hutia, which can be the size of a raccoon.

Hutias are adept climbers that den in tree nests, tree trunk cavities, roots, rock crevices, caves, and holes in limestone. They can be active during the day or night, depending on the species. Their diet consists of roots, tubers, leaves, stems, and bark. Some species, like Desmarest’s Cuban hutia, will also eat small vertebrates. Hunting and habitat destruction have led to the extinction of hutias on many islands. Some species are endangered.
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Where do hutias live in the wild?
Hutias live in various habitats, including swamp forests, coasts, and rocky, mountainous regions. They are adept climbers, dwelling in tree nests, tree trunk cavities, and rock crevices instead of burrows. Once found from sea level to high elevations, they are now mainly restricted to cays, steep ravines, or remote mountain valleys due to hunting and habitat destruction. Some species are diurnal, while others, like the long-tailed Cuban hutias, are nocturnal and arboreal, rarely descending from tree crowns.
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What do hutias look like?
Hutias are Caribbean rodents with short limbs, stout bodies, large heads, small eyes and ears, prominent claws, and long whiskers. Their size varies from the rat-sized dwarf hutia (8 to 12 inches) to the raccoon-sized Desmarest’s Cuban hutia, which can grow from 12.5 to 23.5 inches long and weigh up to 19 pounds. Hutia tails range from short in Brown’s hutia to long and prehensile in the long-tailed Cuban hutia. Their fur ranges from soft to coarse, and their colors range from gray to brown to black, with lighter underparts.

Most hutias are terrestrial, denning in tree nests, rock crevices, caves, and holes in limestone. They are adept climbers, and some species are nocturnal and arboreal, resembling tree squirrels.
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What do hutias eat?
Hutias are Caribbean rodents with short limbs, stout bodies, large heads, small eyes and ears, prominent claws, and long whiskers. Their size varies from the rat-sized dwarf hutia to the raccoon-sized Desmarest’s Cuban hutia.

Hutias eat roots, tubers, leaves, stems, and bark. The Desmarest’s Cuban hutia also consumes small vertebrates. They get all the water they need from their food.

Hutias are adept climbers, denning in tree nests, tree trunk cavities, rock crevices, caves, and limestone holes. Some species are diurnal, while others are nocturnal.
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1. hutia: Natural history
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Are any species of hutia endangered?
Yes, some species of hutia are endangered. Hunting and habitat destruction have led to the extermination of hutias on various islands.

The Puerto Rican hutia (Isolobodon portoricensis) is now extinct. Some hutia species are rare and becoming more so due to human population expansion and habitat destruction, especially in forests. Remaining populations are now primarily found in swamp forests, along coasts, and in rocky, mountainous habitats.

Of the 22 species in the family Capromyidae, 9 are extinct. All four species in the three genera Hexolobodon, Isolobodon, and Rhizoplagiodontia are extinct.
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How have humans affected hutia populations?
Humans have significantly affected hutia populations through hunting and habitat destruction. Native islanders and early European colonists hunted hutias, leading to their extermination on some islands. For example, the Puerto Rican hutia (Isolobodon portoricensis) is now extinct due to these factors.

Human population expansion and habitat destruction, especially forests, continue to threaten hutias. While some species are not endangered, others are becoming increasingly rare. Remaining populations are now mostly confined to swamp forests, coasts, rocky areas, and remote mountain valleys, a reduction from their original range from sea level to high elevations.
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1. hutia: Natural history
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hutia, (family Capromyidae), any of 26 living and recently extinct species of Caribbean rodents. The surviving species of hutia are short-limbed and stout and have a large head, small eyes and ears, prominent claws, and long whiskers. Size ranges from the rat-sized dwarf hutia (Mesocapromys nanus), with a body length of 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 inches), to the raccoon-sized Desmarest’s Cuban hutia (Capromys pilorides), with a body 32 to 60 cm long and weight of up to 8.5 kg (19 pounds). The tail ranges from very short and inconspicuous in Brown’s hutia (Geocapromys brownii) to pronounced and prehensile in the long-tailed Cuban hutia Mysateles prehensilis. Depending on the species, the tail may be thinly or thickly furred and have a thick coat of fur that may be soft or coarse; colours range from gray to brown to black above, with lighter underparts.

Natural history

Adept tree and rock climbers, most hutias are terrestrial and none are known to burrow. Instead, they den in tree nests and among tree trunk cavities and roots, as well as in deep rock crevices, caves, and holes in limestone. There are diurnal and nocturnal species. The long-tailed Cuban hutias are nocturnal and entirely arboreal and thus rarely descend from tree crowns. They resemble tree squirrels as they run along branches and leap from one tree to another. Hutias eat roots, tubers, leaves, stems, and bark; Desmarest’s Cuban hutia also consumes small vertebrates. They obtain all water requirements from their food.

Hunting by native islanders and early European colonists led to the extermination of hutias on various islands. For example, the Puerto Rican hutia (Isolobodon portoricensis) was probably indigenous to Hispaniola and introduced to Puerto Rico and some of the Virgin Islands, but it is now extinct. Some hutias are not endangered, but others are rare and becoming more so owing to human population expansion and habitat destruction, especially forests. The remaining populations are found in swamp forests, along coasts, and in rocky, mountainous habitats. Although hutias once ranged from sea level to high elevations, they are presently restricted to cays, steep ravines, or remote mountain valleys.

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters

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Classification and paleontology

Hutias constitute the family Capromyidae of the suborder Hystricognatha within the order Rodentia. Their closest living relatives are the nutria and American spiny rats. The oldest species of hutia (genus Zazamys) is represented by Cuban fossils from the early Miocene Epoch (23 to 13.8 million years ago); remains of the eight genera listed below do not date earlier than the Pleistocene Epoch (2,600,000 to 11,700 years ago). Five species of giant hutia belonging to a separate family, Heptaxodontidae, may have survived into historical time.

Family Capromyidae (hutias)
13 surviving species in 5 genera; 9 of the 22 species in these 5 genera are extinct, apparently within historical time. All 4 species in the 3 genera Hexolobodon, Isolobodon, and Rhizoplagiodontia are also extinct within historical time.
- Genus Mysateles (long-tailed Cuban hutias)
  5 living species.
- Genus Mesocapromys (sticknest hutias)
  4 living species, 4 extinct.
- Genus Geocapromys (Bahaman and Jamaican hutias)
  2 living species, 3 extinct.
- Genus Plagiodontia (Hispaniolan hutias)
  1 living species, 2 extinct.
- Genus Capromys (Desmarest’s Cuban hutia)
  1 species.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Richard Pallardy.

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Classification and paleontology