The Last Survivors

Whereas the West Indies was once home to a diverse land mammal fauna containing sloths, primates, rodents and insectivores, today only 15 of these species are known or believed to survive, representing just two mammal families – both of which are unique to the Caribbean. Almost all of these last survivors are now threatened with extinction. Without concerted conservation efforts, these species may also disappear in the very near future.

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Insectivores (Order Soricomorpha)

Family Solenodontidae

The only surviving Caribbean insectivores are the two species of solenodon, found on Hispaniola and Cuba. These species have traditionally been placed in the same genus (Solenodon), but recent genetic research has revealed that they diverged from each other around 25 million years ago, when the islands of Hispaniola and Cuba originally broke apart. The original solenodon lineage separated from the ancestors of all other living mammals an astonishing 76 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period, when dinosaurs still roamed the world. This ancient heritage is reflected in some unique characteristics shown by solenodons, most notably the deep grooves in their lower incisors, which act as channels to inject venomous saliva into their prey. The name ‘solenodon’ means ‘grooved tooth’. Solenodons are the only living mammals with a dental venom delivery system, which is more typical of snakes. However, several ancient fossil mammals also show similar dental characteristics, suggesting that this kind of venom delivery was once much more common but has been lost in all other living mammals.

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1. Hispaniolan solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus)

Distribution: Hispaniola

Status: Endangered

For more information, click here.

 

 

 

 2. Cuban solenodon (Atopogale cubana)

Distribution: eastern Cuba

Status: Endangered

The Cuban solenodon differs from its relative in Hispaniola in having a darker coat and a striking white mane of fur. It also lacks an ‘os proboscis’, a bone found in the end of the nose of the Hispaniolan solenodon. Until relatively recently the Cuban solenodon was widely distributed across Cuba, but its range has contracted drastically and today it is restricted to Oriente Province at the eastern end of the island, where it is now extremely difficult to find. As with the Hispaniolan solenodon, the Cuban species has been considered extinct several times during the past century, and has been periodically ‘rediscovered’ when animals were caught or found dead by scientists.

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Rodents (Order Rodentia)

Family Capromyidae

The hutias are the only group of West Indian land mammals to retain a significant proportion of their original species diversity, although many species have become extinct during the prehistoric and historical periods following Amerindian and European arrival in the Caribbean. The group is biogeographically restricted to the Greater Antilles and associated regions; living hutias are still found on Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica and the Bahamas, and other species have disappeared recently from the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Cayman Islands and Little Swan Island. Like solenodons, hutias have an ancient heritage in the Caribbean – the oldest hutia fossils date from around 18 million years ago. Their closest relatives are probably the spiny rats or the coypu, both of which are found in mainland South America.

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Genus Capromys (large hutias)

 

3. Desmarest’s hutia (Capromys pilorides)

Distribution: Cuba

Status: Least Concern

This is the largest living hutia, reaching a body mass of up to 4 kg. It is also the least threatened Caribbean land mammal, and is found on the Isle of Pines and several offshore archipelagos as well as the Cuban mainland.

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Genus Mysateles (arboreal hutias)

These hutias are highly specialized for an arboreal lifestyle, with prehensile tails and among the most complicated stomachs of any rodents as an adaptation for digesting leaves.

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4. Prehensile-tailed hutia (Mysateles prehensilis)

Distribution: western Cuba

Status: Near Threatened

 

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5. Black-tailed hutia (Mysateles melanurus)

Distribution: eastern Cuba

Status: Vulnerable

 

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6. Chapman’s prehensile-tailed hutia (Mysateles gundlachi)

Distribution: Isle of Pines (Cuba)

Status: Endangered

 

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7. Isla De La Juventud tree hutia (Mysateles meridionalis)

Distribution: Isle of Pines (Cuba)

Status: Critically Endangered

 

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8. Garrido’s hutia (Mysateles garridoi)

Distribution: Cayo Maja and neighbouring small islands (Cuba)

Status: Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct)

 

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Genus Mesocapromys (dwarf hutias)

These small-bodied hutias are extremely threatened, and several species may already be extinct. They probably represent a relatively recent evolutionary radiation, as dwarf hutias found on different island archipelagos around Cuba were probably only isolated from the mainland population after the end of the last Ice Age glaciation around 10,000 years ago.

 

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9. Dwarf hutia (Mesocapromys nanus)

Distribution: Isle of Pines and mainland Cuba

Status: Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct)

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10. Cabrera’s hutia (Mesocapromys angelcabrerai)

Distribution: Cayos de Ana Maria, Cuba

Status: Endangered

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11. Large-eared hutia (Mesocapromys auritus)

Distribution: Cayo Fragoso, Cuba

Status: Endangered

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12. Little earth hutia (Mesocapromys sanfelipensis)

Distribution: Cayos de San Felipe, Cuba

Status: Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct)

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Genus Plagiodontia (Hispaniolan hutias)

13. Hispaniolan hutia (Plagiodontia aedium)

Distribution: Hispaniola

Status: Endangered

For more information, click here.

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Genus Geocapromys (ground hutias)

Together with the Hispaniolan hutia, these are the only hutia species that have survived outside Cuba. These species have disappeared from most of their recent historical range, but have both been the focus of major conservation projects. A captive breeding programme for Jamaican hutias was established at Jersey Zoo in the 1980s, and hutias survive on a handful of carefully managed islands in the Bahamas where they can now be found at high population densities.

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14. Jamaican hutia (Geocapromys brownii)

Distribution: Jamaica

Status: Vulnerable

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15. Ingraham’s hutia (Geocapromys ingrahami)

Distribution: Bahamas

Status: Vulnerable