Tree rats

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Tree rats
Hutiaconga (Capromys pilorides)

Hutiaconga ( Capromys pilorides )

Systematics
Order : Rodents (Rodentia)
Subordination : Porcupine relatives (Hystricomorpha)
Partial order : Hystricognathi
without rank: Guinea Pig Relatives (Caviomorpha)
Family : Quill rats (Echimyidae)
Subfamily : Tree rats
Scientific name
Capromyinae
Smith , 1842

The tree rats , as Hutias or Jutias known (Capromyinae), are one of the Caribbean Islands endemic living rodent group from the subordination of the porcupine relatives (Hystricomorpha). Due to their small habitat, this group is severely affected by the extinction of species; of the more than 25 species that lived 5000 years ago, only 13 exist today. The giant hatias (Heptaxodontidae), which are also extinct, are run as a separate family.

distribution

Tree rats live in Cuba , Jamaica , Hispaniola and the Bahamas , but many species only have a very limited range. Until the arrival of humans, they were the only mammals on these islands alongside giant hatias , Caribbean shrews , weevils and bats .

description

These animals resemble large, stubborn rats in appearance, but are not closely related to them. They have stocky bodies, with broad heads with small eyes and ears on a short neck. The short limbs each end in five toes with curved claws. Their fur is relatively thick, and its color varies from gray to brownish. The tail length varies considerably depending on the species. Tree rats reach a head trunk length of 20 to 50 centimeters and a weight of up to 9 kilograms.

Way of life

Tree rats live in forests and mountainous regions. In addition to ground-dwelling species, there are also animals that sometimes live on trees. Their diet consists mainly of plants, others also eat insects and even small vertebrates. Reproduction is characterized by long gestation periods and highly evacuated young animals.

threat

Tree rats are highly endangered due to their small distribution area. The reasons for the threat lie in the destruction of their habitat, hunting and competition from introduced mammals such as rats. Of the 13 species still alive, five are listed as critically endangered by the IUCN , and only one species, Hutiaconga, is considered to be relatively common.

Systematics

In the past, the tree rats were considered an independent family. After several phylogenetic studies it has now become clear that they are a subfamily of the spiny rats (Echimyidae).

There are still five living species of tree rats:

  • The dwarf hatias ( Mesocapromys ) comprise four species, all of which are critically endangered. They almost only live on the islands off Cuba .
  • The long-tailed hatias ( Mysateles ) consist of five species that occur on Cuba and the offshore Isla de la Juventud .
  • The Hutiaconga ( Capromys pilorides ) is the only relatively common species of tree rat. Her home is also Cuba.
  • The piglet rats ( Geocapromys ) include two other species, one of which lives in Jamaica and one in the Bahamas .
  • The zagutis ( Plagiodontia ) with one species native to the island of Hispaniola and two extinct species.

The extinct genera include:

  • Hexolobodon phenax lived on Hispaniola and was similar to Hutiaconga. It probably died out 3,000 to 1,000 years ago.
  • Rhizoplagiodonta lemkei was closely related to the Zagutis and also occurred on Hispaniola. It survived until shortly after the arrival of the Europeans.
  • The two species of isolobodon lived in Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands . Fossil evidence suggests that it was introduced by Indians as a food source on several of these islands. The last animals did not become extinct until the 20th century, but there are always unconfirmed reports of sightings.

literature

  • Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
  • Malcolm C. McKenna, Susan K. Bell: Classification of Mammals. Revised Edition. Above the species level. Columbia University Press, New York NY 2000, ISBN 0-231-11013-8 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Pierre-Henri Fabre, James L. Patton and Yuri Leite: Family Echimyidae (Hutias, South American Spiny-rats and Coypu). In: Don Ellis Wilson and Russell A. Mittermeier (Eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 6: Lagomorphs and Rodents 1 Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2016, ISBN 978-84-941892-3-4 , pp. 552-642
  2. ↑ Pierre-Henri Fabre, Julia T. Vilstrup, Maanasa Raghavan, Clio Der Sarkissian, Eske Willerslev, Emmanuel JP Douzery and Ludovic Orlando: Rodents of the Caribbean: origin and diversification of hutias unraveled by next-generation museomics. Biology Letters 10, 2014. doi : 10.1098 / rsbl.2014.0266
  3. ↑ Maxime Courcelle, Marie-ka Tilak, Yuri LR Leite, Emmanuel JP Douzery, Pierre-Henri Fabre: Digging for the spiny rat and hutia phylogeny using a gene capture approach, with the description of a new mammal subfamily. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, March, 2019, doi: 10.1016 / j.ympev.2019.03.007