The black-tailed hutia (Mesocapromys melanurus), also known as the bushy-tailed hutia, is a small, furry, rat-like mammal found only in Cuba. It lives in lowland moist forests and is threatened by habitat loss.[2] It is a member of the hutia subfamily (Capromyinae), a group of rodents native to the Caribbean that are mostly endangered or extinct.

Black-tailed hutia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Echimyidae
Tribe: Capromyini
Genus: Mesocapromys
Species:
M. melanurus
Binomial name
Mesocapromys melanurus
(Poey, 1865)
Synonyms
  • arboricolus Kratochvíl, Rodriguez, & Barus, 1978
  • rufescens Mohr, 1839
  • Mysateles melanurus (Poey, 1865)

Although it was formerly classified in the genus Mysateles, phylogenetic evidence supports it belonging to the genus Mesocapromys.[3]

References edit

  1. ^ Kennerley, R.; Young, R.; Turvey, S.T. & Borotto-Páez, R. (2018). "Mysateles melanurus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T14256A22187606. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T14256A22187606.en. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  2. ^ "Mesocapromys melanurus (Poey, 1865)". ASM Mammal Diversity Database. American Society of Mammalogists. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
  3. ^ Fabre, Pierre-Henri; Upham, Nathan S.; Emmons, Louise H.; Justy, Fabienne; Leite, Yuri L. R.; Loss, Ana Carolina; Orlando, Ludovic; Tilak, Marie-Ka; Patterson, Bruce D.; Douzery, Emmanuel J. P. (2016-12-25). "Mitogenomic phylogeny, diversification, and biogeography of South American spiny rats". Molecular Biology and Evolution: msw261. doi:10.1093/molbev/msw261. ISSN 0737-4038.