Little information is available on the communication and perception of M. prehensilis in particular, but certain vocalizations are common among hutia species. Both G. brownii and G. ingrahami make nearly constant noises when conspecifics are close. Observations of G. ingrahami show that they make a different sound when threatened. This particular noise seems to draw other hutias into the area. Like other mammals, it's also likely that prehensile-tailed hutias use olfaction extensively in communicating with conspecifics.
Communication Channels: acoustic ; chemical
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Only Desmarests' hutias (C. pilorides) are as common as prehensile-tailed hutias. All other hutias are at a much higher risk of extinction.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: near threatened
There are no known adverse effects of M. prehensilis on humans.
Prehensile-tailed hutias are used as a food source by the people of Cuba.
Positive Impacts: food
Little information has been generated about the role of M. prehensilis in its ecosystem. They may help to disperse seeds through their frugivory. Prehensile-tailed hutias are carriers of two forms of chewing lice: Gliricola ewingi and Gliricola capromydis armatus. Both are ectoparasites found only on the fur of prehensile-tailed hutias.
Commensal/Parasitic Species:
The diet of prehensile-tailed hutias primarily consists of fruit, leaves, and bark.
Plant Foods: leaves; wood, bark, or stems; fruit
Primary Diet: herbivore (Folivore , Frugivore )
Prehensile-tailed hutias (Mysateles prehensilis) are endemic to Cuba, and are primarily found on the western half of the island.
Biogeographic Regions: neotropical (Native )
Other Geographic Terms: island endemic
Prehensile-tailed hutias occur in the woods, forested coasts, and mangrove areas of tropical Cuba.
Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: forest
Other Habitat Features: riparian
There is no available information on the lifespan of M. prehensilis, but G. ingrahami can reach the age of 6 years in the wild.
Varying in mass from 1.4 to 1.9 kg, and in length from 55 to 75 cm, prehensile-tailed hutias are the largest Mysateles species. The dorsal fur ranges in color from black to grey, while the ventral pelage often begins as white and then changes posteriorly to brown. The tail of M. prehensilis is partially prehensile and can be equal to 80% of the body's length.
Range mass: 1.4 to 1.9 kg.
Range length: 55 to 75 cm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Beyond humans, the predators of M. prehensilis remain unidentified. Remains of C. pilorides, another Cuban hutia, have been found in the stomachs of Cuban crocodiles, Crocodylus rhombifer.
Anti-predator Adaptations: cryptic
Little is known about the mating system of prehensile-tailed hutias, but two species in the same family, Geocapromys ingrahami and G. brownii, breed year round. Bahamanian hutias, G. ingrahami, have been observed mating and may use vocalizations to attract partners.
While reproduction in M. prehensilis is poorly understood, other members of the Capromyidae are known for having lengthy gestation periods and small, precocial litters. Geocapromys brownii produces 1 to 3 young after a 123 day gestation period; the young can eat solid foods roughly 30 hours after birth. Capromys pilorides, another capromyid found in Cuba, gives birth to fully furred offspring after 110 to 140 days.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous
Parental investment in M. prehensilis has not been investigated. Observations of G. ingrahami in captivity show that females will defend their young. Like other mammals, females nourish and care for their young until they are weaned.
Parental Investment: pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female)
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.[1] 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).
The genus name Mysateles derives from the two ancient greek words μῦς (mûs), meaning "mouse, rat", and ἀτέλεια (atéleia), 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.
Genus-level cladogram of the CapromyidaeTrinomys (Atlantic spiny rats)
Capromyidae Plagiodontini Capromyini The cladogram has been reconstructed from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA characters.[2][3][4][5][6][7]Several other hutia species such as Garrido's hutia (Capromys garridoi) and the black-tailed hutia (Mesocapromys melanurus) were formerly classified in Mysateles, but phylogenetic evidence found them to belong in different genera, leaving only M. prehensilis in Mysateles.[8]
A subspecies, Mysateles prehensilis gundlachi (also known as Chapman's prehensile-tailed hutia or Gundlach's hutia) was previously considered a separate species (Mysateles gundlachi).[9] The Isla De La Juventud tree hutia (M. p. meridionalis) was also previously considered a separate species, but was found to be a subspecies by phylogenetic studies.[8][10]
Its karyotype has 2n = 34 and FN = 54–56.[11]
The species is found in both primary and secondary forest. It is listed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List. Although locally common in some areas, it is in decline and is threatened by deforestation and habitat fragmentation.[1]
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).
