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Hutia
The first meat Christopher Columbus tasted in the
New World was probably hutia, a rodent avidly hunted
by the Carib Indians. Hutia bones have been unearthed ''
from kitchen middens of pre-Columbian inhabitants of |
all the Greater Antilles. Indians carried live hutias on
voyages, possibly in a semidomestic state, as a source
of food. On some islands, hutias were so eagerly sought that their
populations were destroyed long before Europeans arrived. Slaves in
the cane fields also hunted hutias for food. The surviving species later
suffered when forests were cleared and cats, dogs, mongooses, and
other predators were introduced. Consequently, the majority of hutia
species died out, and today most surviving members of the family
(Capromyidae) are facing extinction. Human predation continues in
some areas (for instance, in Jamaica) where the tradition of "coney-
hunting" still endures in a few regions.
Hutias should be tested as possible microlivestock: success could
create the incentive for their complete protection. The animals seem
to take well to captivity. The Jamaican hutia is already overproducing
in zoos, causing a local glut of animals. And hutias are, or were until
recently, kept in barns by some people in Cuba, who fed them on
banana and other vegetable waste and ate them regularly.
POTENTIAL AREA OF USE
The Caribbean.
APPEARANCE AND SIZE
Hutias are broad-headed, short-legged, robust animals with small
' Information from W.L.R. Oliver.
251
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252
Cuba
The hutia's native range.
MICROLIVESTOCK
at. '
Jamaica
8
Hispaniola
eyes and ears. The various species are from 20 to 60 cm long and
weigh from 1 to 9 kg a size range from that of a guinea pig to that of
a small dog. They walk with a slow, waddling motion, but can hop
quickly if frightened or pursued. They also climb well.
The 10 living species are all big enough to be candidates for
microlivestock. The best known and easiest species to keep in captivity
are the Cuban hutia (`Capromys pilorides) and Jamaican hutia (Geo-
capromys brownii).
The Cuban hutia (also called hutia conga) is about 60 cm long, with
coarse fur, a raccoon-shaped body, and a thick tail covered with sparse
bristles. A forest dweller, it weighs up to 7 kg.
The short-tailed Jamaican hutia is smaller: it is 33~5 cm long and
weighs up to 2.5 kg.
DISTRIBUTION
Hutias are found only in the Caribbean (Greater Antilles and
Bahamas). Most species are confined to a single island, where they
represent the only remaining indigenous land mammals. The Cuban
hutia is found only in Cuba. The Jamaican hutia is found only in
Jamaica, although a close relative occurs on East Plana Cay, Bahamas.
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HUTIA
STATUS
253
This once widely distributed and plentiful family is now failing. Of
the 30 or so known recent taxa, more than half are already extinct,
and the remainder all suffer from habitat alteration, predation by
introduced animals, and hunting by man. With the exception of the
Cuban hutia, all species are included on the list of the world's threatened
mammals.
HABITAT AND ENVIRONMENT
Hutia ranges have been so reduced that these animals survive only
in the most inaccessible forests and rocky drylands. Both the Cuban
and the Jamaican hutias occur in a variety of habitats from montane
cloud forests to arid coastal semideserts.
BIOLOGY
Most species are terrestrial, but some live in trees. The Cuban and
Jamaican species are terrestrial, but they can climb trees if circum-
stances demand. They maneuver well on trunks and larger branches,
descending head first like squirrels.
Hutias are primarily vegetarian, their diets consisting of leaves,
bark, fruits, and twigs, as well as incidental catches of small animals
such as lizards and invertebrates.
Hutias seem to breed year-round, generally giving birth to litters of
1= offspring after a gestation period of 1~20 weeks. The young are
well developed at birth, fully haired, open eyed, and capable of most
adult movements. After 10 days they begin taking solid food, although
they are not fully weaned for at least a month and a half (5 months
for the Cuban hutia). Sexual maturity is at 10 months; life expectancy
is ~11 years in captivity.
The Jamaican hutia has one of the highest diploid chromosome
numbers (2n = 88) of any mammal.
BEHAVIOR
Most hutias are wary and secretive and are easily displaced by
human encroachment. They live like rabbits, hiding among tangled
vegetation, in holes, and among rocks-communicating by voice and
scent markings. They build shelters mainly in rock crevices, but also
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254
MICROLIVESTOCK
flISPAI`IIOLAl~l 11UTIA
The Hispaniolan hutia, or zagouti (Plagiodont~a Tedium) as
it is known in Haiti, is smaller than the two Capromyids
discussed here, weighing just 1.2 kg. It is difficult to breed in
captivator and has a lower reproductive rate than either the
Jamaican or Cuban hutia. It is therefore less suitable as an
economic or food source.
However, there is a significant need for supplemental protein
sources in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic. It might be
possible to develop a special captive-breeding program for
this animal, but it should be done with great care. It is important
that a hunting tradition for this animal not be reestablished in
rural areas of Haiti or the Dominican Republic, and that local
organizations not be misled into believing that there will be a
rapid increase in the numbers of this species in captivity.
in the base of thick bushes or in natural cavities in trees. The Cuban
hutia is often diurnal, whereas the Jamaican hutia is largely nocturnal.
USES
Hutia meat is relished, especially in Jamaica. The animals are still
hunted, often by using dogs that smell them out and retrieve them
from a hole or hold them at bay in treetops.
HUSBANDRY
Experiences of zoos suggest that the Cuban and Jamaican hutias
will thrive in captivity. The animals are generally long-lived and have
survived up to 17 years. They are often friendly with their keepers
and, when tame, can be held and carried about without any particular
danger. However, if angered they can inflict deep bites and should
normally be handled with considerable caution.
ADVANTAGES
.
These animals are already much in demand. Their meat has an
excellent flavor and they are big enough to provide a worthwhile
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HUTIA
255
quantity. If husbandry could be developed on a sustainable basis, it
could be used as a mechanism for both economic development and
for saving the remnant populations.
LIMITATIONS
Wild populations are threatened. Any captive population must be
built up without endangering them.
All hutias are susceptible to predation by domestic cats, mongooses,
dogs, and human poachers, so care must be taken to design predator-
proof breeding facilities.
These animals are carriers of eastern equine encephalomyelitis, a
serious disease of horses.
RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION NEEDS
Hutias deserve urgent conservation attention. In particular, the
following steps should be taken:
· Establish reserves in natural habitats containing breeding popu-
lations to ensure the survival of the genetic diversity of these animals.
· Build up breeding populations in suitable zoos and livestock
research centers.
lion.
· Gather specimens from different regions for comparative evalua
· Investigate hutia biology, including chromosome type, reproduc-
tive physiology, nutrition, and diseases.
· Assess experiences of zoos.
· Perform captive breeding trials, measuring growth rates, space
requirements, food needs, and social behavior (both in its wild state
and under controlled conditions).
· Study the social organization and tameability.
Colonies of some species could be established on uninhabited islands,
as has been done with the Bahamian hutia Geocapromys ingrahami.
Even this rare species might eventually be raised to yield meat for
local inhabitants, as it is well adapted to dry and barren environments
and was a regular food of the pre-Columbian Indians.
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Representative terms from entire chapter:
jamaican hutia
