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Hutias
Hutias (known in Spanish as jutía) are moderately large cavy-like rodents of the subfamily Capromyinae that inhabit the Caribbean islands, with most species restricted to Cuba and Hispaniola. Twenty species of hutia have been identified, but at least half are extinct. Only Desmarest's hutia and the prehensile-tailed hutia remain common and widespread; all other extant species are considered threatened by the IUCN. The extinct giant hutias of the family Heptaxodontidae also inhabited the Caribbean, but are not thought to be closely related, with the giant hutias belonging in the superfamily Chinchilloidea. Description Most species have a head-and-body length that ranges from and weigh less than , but Desmarest's hutia has a head-and-body length of and weighs . They resemble the coypu in some respects. Tails are present, varying from vestiges to prehensile. They have stout bodies and large heads. Most species are herbivorous, though some consume small animals. Instead of burro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Caviomorpha
Caviomorpha is the rodent infraorder or parvorder that unites all New World hystricognaths. It is supported by both fossil and molecular evidence. The Caviomorpha was for a time considered to be a separate order outside the Rodentia, but is now accepted as a genuine part of the rodents. Caviomorphs include the extinct Heptaxodontidae (giant hutias) and extant families of chinchilla rats, hutias, guinea pigs and the capybara, chinchillas and viscachas, tuco-tucos, agoutis, pacas, pacaranas, spiny rats, New World porcupines, coypu and octodonts (Vassallo and Antenucci, 2015). Origin The first known rodent fossils in South America are represented by the three taxa ''Cachiyacuy contamanensis'', ''C. kummeli'', and ''Canaanimys maquiensis'', as well as teeth from ''Eobranisamys'' sp. (Dasyproctidae) and ''Eospina'' sp., the latter two found also in the Santa Rosa fauna from the late Eocene or early Oligocene. By the late Oligocene, all superfamilies and most families of caviomor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Desmarest's Hutia
Desmarest's hutia or the Cuban hutia (''Capromys pilorides'') is a stout, furry, rat-like mammal found only on Cuba and nearby islands. Growing to about 60 cm (2 ft), it normally lives in pairs and feeds on leaves, fruit, bark and sometimes small animals. It is the largest living hutia (subfamily Capromyinae), a group of rodents native to the Caribbean that are mostly endangered or extinct. Desmarest's hutia remains widespread throughout its range, though one subspecies (''C. p. lewisi'') native to the nearby Cayman Islands went extinct shortly after European colonization in the 1500s. Description The Desmarest's hutia has a head-and-body length of , a tail that is long, and weigh .Nowak, R. M. (1999). Walker's Mammals of the World. Vol. 2. 6th edition. p. 1706. It has thick, coarse fur which extends to the tip of the tail. The colour of the body fur varies from black to brown, with a light sand colour and red also seen. The body is stocky and the legs short. It moves with a slo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Plagiodontia
''Plagiodontia'' is a genus of rodent in the subfamily Capromyinae (hutias). All known species are endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (in the present-day Dominican Republic and Haiti). The genus name ''Plagiodontia'' means "oblique tooth", and derives from the two ancient greek words (), meaning "placed sideways", and , (), meaning "tooth". Systematics This genus contains the following three species (two of them extinct): * Hispaniolan hutia (''Plagiodontia aedium'') F. Cuvier, 1836 *† Samaná hutia The Samaná hutia (''Plagiodontia ipnaeum'') is an extinction, extinct species of rodent in the subfamily Hutia, Capromyinae. It was Endemism, endemic to Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti). Its natural habitat was subtropical or tropic ... (''Plagiodontia ipnaeum'') Johnson, 1948 *† ''Plagiodontia spelaeum'' Miller, 1929 Phylogeny Within Capromyidae, ''Plagiodontia'' is the deepest branching genus, belonging to the tribe Plagiodontini. It is the sister ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coypu
The nutria (''Myocastor coypus''), also known as the coypu, is a large, herbivorous, semiaquatic rodent. Classified for a long time as the only member of the family Myocastoridae, ''Myocastor'' is now included within Echimyidae, the family of the spiny rats. The nutria lives in burrows alongside stretches of water, and feeds on river plant stems. Originally native to subtropical and temperate South America, it has since been introduced to North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, primarily by fur farmers. Although it is still hunted and trapped for its fur in some regions, its destructive burrowing and feeding habits often bring it into conflict with humans, and it is considered an invasive species. Nutria also transmit various diseases to humans and animals mainly through water contamination. Etymology The genus name ''Myocastor'' derives from the two Ancient Greek words (), meaning "rat, mouse", and (), meaning "beaver". Literally, therefore, the name ''Myocastor'' means ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geocapromys
''Geocapromys'' is a genus of rodent belonging to the hutia subfamily and are currently only found on the Bahamas and Jamaica. However, they formerly ranged throughout the Caribbean, from Cuba to the Cayman Islands to even islands off mainland Central America. Systematics The genus ''Geocapromys'' comprises five recent species, three of which are extinct. * ''Geocapromys ingrahami'', the Bahamian hutia or Ingraham's hutia, is an extant species of hutia native to the Bahamas. * ''G. brownii'', the Jamaican hutia, which is also known as the Jamaican coney or Brown's hutia, is another extant species endemic to Jamaica. * ''G. thoracatus'', the Little Swan Island hutia, was a third species which was found only on Little Swan Island, off northeastern Honduras. It became extinct in 1955, wiped out by storms and introduced predators. Some scientists consider it a subspecies of ''G. brownii''. *''G. columbianus'', the Cuban coney, was endemic to Cuba, where it went extinct shortly after ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mesocapromys
''Mesocapromys'' is a genus of rodent in the subfamily Capromyinae. The genus is restricted to Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ... and associated islands. Systematics ''Mesocapromys'' contains the five following species: * Cabrera's hutia ('' Mesocapromys angelcabrerai'') * Eared hutia ('' Mesocapromys auritus'') * Black-tailed hutia ('' Mesocapromys melanurus'') * Dwarf hutia ('' Mesocapromys nana'') * San Felipe hutia ('' Mesocapromys sanfelipensis'') Phylogeny Within Capromyidae, the closest relative of ''Mesocapromys'' is the genus ''Mysateles''. Both genera are the sister group to ''Capromys'', and then ''Geocapromys'' is a more distant genus. In turn, these four genera belong to the tribe Capromyini, and are the sister group to ''Plagiodontia''. Refere ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mysateles
The prehensile-tailed hutia (''Mysateles prehensilis'') is a small, furry, rat-like mammal found only in forests on Cuba. It is the only member of the genus ''Mysateles''. It climbs and lives in trees where it eats only leaves, and it is threatened by habitat loss. The prehensile-tailed hutia is a member of the hutia subfamily (Capromyinae), a group of rodents native to the Caribbean that are mostly endangered or extinct. There is one subspecies, ''M. prehensilis gundlachi'' (also known as Chapman's prehensile-tailed hutia or Gundlach's hutia). Taxonomy The genus name ''Mysateles'' derives from the two ancient greek words (), meaning "mouse, rat", and (), meaning "incomplete, imperfect". Within Capromyidae, the closest relative of ''Mysateles'' is the genus ''Mesocapromys''. Both genera are the sister group to ''Capromys'', and then ''Geocapromys'' is a more distant genus. In turn, these four genera belong to the tribe Capromyini, and are the sister group to ''Plagiodontia' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giant Hutia
Heptaxodontidae, rarely called giant hutia, is an extinct family of large rodents known from fossil and subfossil material found in the West Indies. One species, ''Amblyrhiza inundata'', is estimated to have weighed between , reaching the weight of an eastern gorilla. This is twice as large as the capybara, the largest rodent living today, but still much smaller than ''Josephoartigasia monesi'', the largest rodent known. These animals were probably used as a food source by the pre-Columbian peoples of the Caribbean. Heptaxodontidae contains no living species and the grouping seems to be paraphyletic and arbitrary, however. One of the smaller species, ''Quemisia gravis'', may have survived as late as when the Spanish began to colonize the Caribbean. Despite the vernacular name, heptaxodontids are not closely related to the extant hutias of the family Echimyidae; Heptaxodontids are thought to be more closely related to the chinchillas. Taxonomy Heptaxodontidae is divided into ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hyperplagiodontia
''Hyperplagiodontia'', rarely called the wide-toothed hutia, is an extinct genus of hutia which contains a single species, ''Hyperplagiodontia araeum''. The species was originally described as a member of the genus '' Plagiodontia'' along with the extant Hispaniolan hutia (''P. aedium''), but after morphometric analysis in 2012, was moved to its own genus, ''Hyperplagiodontia''. Fossils of ''H. araeum'' have only been found on Hispaniola, in the Dominican Republic and Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and .... References araeum Mammals described in 1964 Mammals of the Dominican Republic Mammals of Haiti Mammals of Hispaniola Mammal extinctions since 1500 Holocene extinctions Extinct animals of the Dominican Republic Extinct animals of Haiti {{Rode ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giant Hutia
Heptaxodontidae, rarely called giant hutia, is an extinct family of large rodents known from fossil and subfossil material found in the West Indies. One species, ''Amblyrhiza inundata'', is estimated to have weighed between , reaching the weight of an eastern gorilla. This is twice as large as the capybara, the largest rodent living today, but still much smaller than ''Josephoartigasia monesi'', the largest rodent known. These animals were probably used as a food source by the pre-Columbian peoples of the Caribbean. Heptaxodontidae contains no living species and the grouping seems to be paraphyletic and arbitrary, however. One of the smaller species, ''Quemisia gravis'', may have survived as late as when the Spanish began to colonize the Caribbean. Despite the vernacular name, heptaxodontids are not closely related to the extant hutias of the family Echimyidae; Heptaxodontids are thought to be more closely related to the chinchillas. Taxonomy Heptaxodontidae is divided into ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prehensile-tailed Hutia
The prehensile-tailed hutia (''Mysateles prehensilis'') is a small, furry, rat-like mammal found only in forests on Cuba. It is the only member of the genus ''Mysateles''. It climbs and lives in trees where it eats only leaves, and it is threatened by habitat loss. The prehensile-tailed hutia is a member of the hutia subfamily (Capromyinae), a group of rodents native to the Caribbean that are mostly endangered or extinct. There is one subspecies, ''M. prehensilis gundlachi'' (also known as Chapman's prehensile-tailed hutia or Gundlach's hutia). Taxonomy The genus name ''Mysateles'' derives from the two ancient greek words (), meaning "mouse, rat", and (), meaning "incomplete, imperfect". Within Capromyidae, the closest relative of ''Mysateles'' is the genus ''Mesocapromys''. Both genera are the sister group to ''Capromys'', and then ''Geocapromys'' is a more distant genus. In turn, these four genera belong to the tribe Capromyini, and are the sister group to ''Plagiodontia' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rodent
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are native to all major land masses except for New Zealand, Antarctica, and several oceanic islands, though they have subsequently been introduced to most of these land masses by human activity. Rodents are extremely diverse in their ecology and lifestyles and can be found in almost every terrestrial habitat, including human-made environments. Species can be arboreal, fossorial (burrowing), saltatorial/richochetal (leaping on their hind legs), or semiaquatic. However, all rodents share several morphological features, including having only a single upper and lower pair of ever-growing incisors. Well-known rodents include mice, rats, squirrels, prairie dogs, porcupines, beavers, guinea pigs, and hamsters. Rabbits, hares, and pikas, whose i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
