Cabrera's Hutia
CR

Cabrera's Hutia

Mesocapromys angelcabrerai

Unknown

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabrera's_hutia

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Mesocapromys angelcabrerai faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and urban development across its limited range in Cuba. The species is particularly vulnerable to introduced predators including cats and dogs, which prey on these ground-dwelling rodents. Hurricane damage and climate change-related sea level rise pose additional risks to coastal populations, while the species' extremely restricted distribution makes it highly susceptible to local extinctions from any single catastrophic event.

Threat summary

Habitat

This Cuban hutia inhabits dense coastal scrublands, mangrove edges, and rocky crevices along the coastline of its restricted range. The species prefers areas with thick vegetation cover that provides protection from predators and access to its preferred plant foods.

Forest - Subtropical/tropical mangrove vegetation· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protection

Other threatened species in CAPROMYIDAE

Bahamian HutiaCR

Bahamian Hutia

Geocapromys ingrahami

Declining
Dwarf HutiaCR

Dwarf Hutia

Mesocapromys nanus

Unknown
VU

Black-tailed Hutia

Mysateles melanurus

Declining
Jamaican HutiaEN

Jamaican Hutia

Geocapromys brownii

Declining

Threatened in Cuba

VU

Tropical Pine

Pinus tropicalis

Declining
Oriente Yellow-mottled FrogVU

Oriente Yellow-mottled Frog

Eleutherodactylus ricordii

Declining
EN

Aristolochia clementis

Unknown
VU

Bauhinia dipetala

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Cabrera's Hutia classified as Critically Endangered?
Cabrera's Hutia is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Mesocapromys angelcabrerai faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and urban development across its limited range in Cuba. The species is particularly vulnerable to introduced predators including cats and dogs, which prey on these ground-dwelling rodents. Hurricane damage and climate change-related sea level rise pose additional risks to coastal populations, while the species' extremely restricted distribution makes it highly susceptible to local extinctions from any single catastrophic event.
Where does Cabrera's Hutia live?
Cabrera's Hutia occurs in Cuba. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Cabrera's Hutia?
The main threats to Cabrera's Hutia are 5.1, 8.1, ai-1, and ai-2. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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