The San Felipe hutia (''Mesocapromys sanfelipensis''), also known as the little earth hutia, is small, critically endangered, rat-like mammal found on the small island of Cayo de Juan Garcia off the southwest coast of Cuba. It was discovered in 1970 and is possibly extinct. Little is known about the species, except that it lives in swamps and coastal mangrove forests. It is a member of the

hutia 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 ...

subfamily (Capromyinae), a group of stout

rodents 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 nat ...

native to the Caribbean that are mostly endangered or extinct. The San Felipe hutia lives on Cayo de Juan Garcia and possibly adjacent islands, part of the Cayos de San Felipe located west of

Isla de la Juventud Isla de la Juventud (; en, Isle of Youth) is the second-largest Cuban island (after Cuba's mainland) and the seventh-largest island in the West Indies (after mainland Cuba itself, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and Andros Islan ...

. The San Felipe hutia is a small rodent, with a body length of 8 - 9 inches (20 - 23 cm). It has a grayish-brown fur, a short tail, small ears and a thick body. It is nocturnal, and usually forages for food at night. It is believed to live in burrows or rock crevices near water, as well as in mangrove forests. The San Felipe hutia is believed to feed on a variety of plant material and small invertebrates found in its coastal habitat. It is threatened by introduced predators, habitat degradation and hunting. It is also threatened by introduced plants that can outcompete its native vegetation, as well as rising sea levels that could reduce its habitat. Conservation efforts are currently underway to protect this species, including the protection of its coastal habitat and the introduction of predator controls.

References

Hutias Mesocapromys Endemic fauna of Cuba Mammals of Cuba Mammals of the Caribbean Critically endangered animals Mammals described in 1970 {{rodent-stub pt:Mesocapromys angelcabrerai