Mysateles prehensilis
Creators: name: Don E. Wilson
name: Thomas E. Lacher, Jr
name: Russell A. Mittermeier
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Rodentia
Capromyidae
Mysateles
Mysateles prehensilis

description: 9.
Prehensile-tailed Hutia
Mysateles prehensilis
French: Hutia & queue préhensile / German: Langschwanzhutia / Spanish: Jutia de cola prensil
Other common names: Cuban Prehensile-tailed Hutia; Chapman's Prehensile-tailed Hutia (gundlachi)
Taxonomy. Capromys prehensilis Poeppig, 1824,
“in sylvis versus oram Cubae australe obvia [= wooded south coast, Cuba].”
Three subspecies are recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
M.p.prehensilisPoeppig,1824—Cubamainland.
M.p.gundlachiChapman,1901—NIslade laJuventud(offSWCuba)
.
M. p. meridionalis Varona, 1986 — S Isla de la Juventud (off SW Cuba).
Descriptive notes. Head—body 329-452 mm,tail 250-355 mm; weight up to 2-8 kg. Dorsal fur of the Prehensile-tailed Hutia is grayish brown, with soft guard hairs. Venter, chin, and limb under parts are pure white. Face is usually pale white, with golden or pale brownish gray hairs on front, being brighter toward muzzle. White extends on side of head and reaches anteriorly to muzzle and posteriorly to back of ears. Darker rings are usually present around eyes and extend anterior to eyes to muzzle and posteriorly to ears. Ears are proportionally longer than those of the Black-tailed Hutia (Mesocapromys melanurus), with longer hairs on their surfaces. Prehensile tail is 75-78% of head-body length;it is covered with hairs similar in color to dorsum but with whitish ventral parts on proximal one-third of tail. Feet and hands are whitish. The Prehensile-tailed Hutia is cranially very similar to the Black-tailed Hutia, but its teeth are slightly broader and shorter. Skull of the Prehensile-tailed Hutia is also absolutely and proportionately larger than that of the Black-tailed Hutia. Upper parts of squamosal and supraorbital are slightly protuberant compared with the Black-tailed Hutia; frontal bones are not as swollen, and basioccipital is wider. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 34 and FN = 54-56.
Habitat. Primary and secondary lowland rainforests and montane gallery forests, especially near rivers and streams. Subspecies gundlachi is found in coastal and mangrove habitats, apparently due to destruction of its native habitat. It is the most arboreal hutia, using vines and lianas as support while climbing and nesting in tree holes. Individuals are rarely seen near the ground in open habitats, close to secondary forest.
Food and Feeding. The Prehensile-tailed Hutia eats leaves, bark, and fruit. On northern parts of Isla de la Juventud, subspecies gundlachi foraged on 15 species in pine stands and savanna, with preferences for species from the subclass Rosidae but also including Byrsonima crassifolia (Malpighiaceae), Colpothrinax wright: (Arecaceae), Matayba oppositifolia (Sapindaceae), and Syzygiumjambos (Myrtaceae). In western Cuba, nominate subspecies foraged on 15 plant species from eleven families, with preferences for Ficus sp. (Moraceae), M. oppositifolia, Ocoteafloribunda (Lauraceae), and Spondias mombin (Anacardiaceae), but most of them belonged to Rosidae (57:6%). These plants were used in pine, gallery, and secondary forests.
Breeding. Litters of the Prehensile-tailed Hutia have 2-3 young, and gestation lasts 90-120 days. Embryos have been found in subspecies of the Prehensile-tailed Hutia in January-February, May, October, and December, suggesting breeding throughout the year. Young are weaned at around three months of age.
Activity patterns. Prehensile-tailed Hutias are strictly nocturnal and hide during the day in nesting sites, usually in trees.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no specific information available for this species, but the Prehensile-tailed Hutia is reported to be highly social.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. The Prehensile-tailed Hutia is the second most abundant hutia on Cuba and can be very abundant in local forests. Nevertheless, its habitat is highly fragmented, which may pose serious problems for this species. Populations seem to be declining due to human activity, primarily agricultural expansion. Some populations on Cuba have declined by c.30%—an observation that may require reclassification to Vulnerable in the future.
Bibliography. Abreu & Garcia (1990), Abreu & Manojina (1989), Balseiro et al. (2015), Berovides, Alfonso & Camacho (1990), Berovides, Camacho et al. (1990), Borroto & Camacho (2012), Borroto & Woods (2012a), Borroto, Mancina et al. (2012), Bucher (1937), Chapman (1901), Gundlach (1877), Kratochvil et al. (1980), Lora (1895), Mohr (1939), Rivero & Borroto (2012), Silva et al. (2007a), Varona (1974, 1986), Woods (1982), Woods & Howland (1979), Woods et al. (2001).
description: Published as part of Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2016, Echimyidae, pp. 552-604 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on pages 557-558, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6623649