Black-tailed hutia

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Black-tailed hutia
CapromysMelanurusSmit.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Echimyidae
Tribe: Capromyini
Genus: Mesocapromys
Species:
M. melanurus
Binomial name
Mesocapromys melanurus
(Poey, 1865)
Synonyms
  • arboricolusKratochvíl, Rodriguez, & Barus, 1978
  • rufescensMohr, 1839
  • Mysateles melanurus(Poey, 1865)

The black-tailed hutia (Mesocapromys melanurus), also known as the bushy-tailed hutia, is a small, furry, rat-like mammal found only in Cuba. It lives in lowland moist forests and is threatened by habitat loss. [2] It is a member of the hutia subfamily (Capromyinae), a group of rodents native to the Caribbean that are mostly endangered or extinct.

Although it was formerly classified in the genus Mysateles , phylogenetic evidence supports it belonging to the genus Mesocapromys . [3]

Related Research Articles

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Hutias are moderately large cavy-like rodents of the subfamily Capromyinae that inhabit the Caribbean islands. Most species are restricted to Cuba, but species are known from all of the Greater Antilles, as well as The Bahamas and (formerly) Little Swan Island off of Honduras.

The dwarf hutia is a small, critically endangered, rat-like mammal known only from Cuba. Aside from tracks, it was last seen in 1937 and may be extinct. It gives birth to only a single offspring at a time, and is threatened by habitat loss and non-native species such as rats and mongoose. The dwarf hutia belongs to the hutia subfamily (Capromyinae), a group of rodents native to the Caribbean that are mostly endangered or extinct.

Garrido's hutia is a small, critically endangered, rat-like mammal found in coastal mangrove forests on Cuba and nearby islands. It is rarely seen and may be extinct. It is a member of the hutia subfamily (Capromyinae), a group of rodents native to the Caribbean that are mostly endangered or extinct. The only other species in its genus, the Desmarest's hutia, is also found only on Cuba.

<i>Murexia</i> Genus of marsupials

Murexia is a genus of mouse-sized dasyure, in the marsupial order Dasyuromorphia. They are found in Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phascogalini</span> Tribe of marsupials

The Phascogalini are a tribe in the family Dasyuridae, comprising seven genera of small marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea.

<i>Geocapromys</i> Genus of mammals belonging to the hutia subfamily of rodents

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamaican coney</span> Hutia endemic to Jamaica

The Jamaican coney, also known as the Jamaican hutia or Brown's hutia, is a small, endangered, rat-like mammal found only on the island of Jamaica. About the size of a rabbit, it lives in group nests and is active at night to feed on fruit, bark, and other plant matter. It is currently endangered by habitat loss, hunting, and non-native species; it persists only in remote mountains. The Jamaican coney belongs to the hutia subfamily (Capromyinae) and is the only surviving native mammal on Jamaica other than bats.

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The Atlantic bamboo rat, or southern bamboo rat, is a spiny rat species found in humid tropical forests in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. It is the only member of the genus Kannabateomys.

The tuft-tailed spiny tree rat is a spiny rat species from Brazil south of the Amazon River, where it has been found in grassland and gallery forest. It is the only species in the genus Lonchothrix. Very little is known about this rodent. It is small with an average adult weight of about 138 grams. It is nocturnal and solitary in habits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hispaniolan hutia</span> Species of rodent endemic to Hispaniola

The Hispaniolan hutia is a small, threatened, rat-like mammal endemic to forests on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. It lives in burrows or trees, and is active at night when it feeds on roots and fruits. A member of the hutia subfamily (Capromyinae), it is endangered from habitat loss and introduced species, such as rats or feral dogs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desmarest's hutia</span> Species of mammals belonging to the hutia subfamily of rodents

Desmarest's hutia or the Cuban hutia 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, 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 native to the nearby Cayman Islands went extinct shortly after European colonization in the 1500s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cabrera's hutia</span> Species of rodent

Cabrera's hutia is a small, critically endangered, rat-like mammal found only in Cuba. It lives in communal shelters in swamps and coastal mangrove forests, and is threatened by habitat loss. It is a member of the hutia subfamily (Capromyinae), a group of rodents native to the Caribbean that are mostly endangered or extinct.

<i>Mesocapromys</i> Genus of mammals belonging to the hutia subfamily of rodents

Mesocapromys is a genus of rodent in the subfamily Capromyinae. The genus is restricted to Cuba and associated islands.

The Isla De La Juventud tree hutia or southern hutia is a subspecies of rodent in the subfamily Capromyinae. It is endemic to lowland moist forests on Isla de la Juventud in Cuba. It is threatened by habitat loss and is considered Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prehensile-tailed hutia</span> Species of rodent

The prehensile-tailed hutia 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.

<i>Plagiodontia</i> Genus of mammals belonging to the hutia subfamily of rodents

Plagiodontia is a genus of rodent in the subfamily Capromyinae (hutias). All known species are endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Felipe hutia</span> Species of rodent

The San Felipe hutia, 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 subfamily (Capromyinae), a group of stout rodents native to the Caribbean that are mostly endangered or extinct.

References

  1. Kennerley, R.; Young, R.; Turvey, S.T. & Borotto-Páez, R. (2018). "Mysateles melanurus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018: e.T14256A22187606. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T14256A22187606.en . Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  2. "Mesocapromys melanurus (Poey, 1865)". ASM Mammal Diversity Database. American Society of Mammalogists . Retrieved 2021-10-02.
  3. Fabre, Pierre-Henri; Upham, Nathan S.; Emmons, Louise H.; Justy, Fabienne; Leite, Yuri L. R.; Loss, Ana Carolina; Orlando, Ludovic; Tilak, Marie-Ka; Patterson, Bruce D.; Douzery, Emmanuel J. P. (2016-12-25). "Mitogenomic phylogeny, diversification, and biogeography of South American spiny rats". Molecular Biology and Evolution: msw261. doi: 10.1093/molbev/msw261 . ISSN   0737-4038.