Geocapromys brownii
Brown's hutia

Geocapromys brownii, commonly known as the Jamaican hutia, is restricted to the interior regions of the Caribbean island of Jamaica.

The Jamaican hutia prefers to live on exposed sites usually made of limestone. Geocapromys brownii will fashion homes out of natural crevices or tunnels in the rock. In captivity, they have shown that they do not build nests, but prefer empty, enclosed spaces. At night, Jamaican hutias will move through the shrubby areas, foraging for food (Anderson et al. 1983).

These large rodents have a body length of 330 to 445 mm. Geocapromys brownii have short, nearly vestigial tails between 35 and 64 mm. in length (Nowak 1999). They have the shortest tails of all of the hutias. Due to their massive heads and short necks and legs, Jamaican hutias take on a stout appearance. The fur on the back is thick and coarse, ranging in color from reddish-brown to almost black. The tail is scaly with tufts of black fur on its upper surface. The feet are covered in very rough, short black hair. The whiskers or vibrassae are long and the ears short.

Geocapromys brownii have the largest skulls of all of the three species of hutia. The sagittal crest is fairly prominent. The jugal is also unusually wide and located far below the orbits.

The dental formula is 1/1, 0/0, 1/1, 3/3 (incisor, canine, premolar, and molar, respectively). The cheekteeth display a hypsodont occlusal pattern and are almost perfectly flat on their upper surfaces (Anderson et al. 1983).

These mysterious creatures are nocturnal and are seldom seen in the wild. This had led scientists to the misconception that Jamaican hutias were always quite rare (Nowak 1999). These terrestrial mammals emerge from their crevice or tunnel homes at night to forage. Although Jamaican hutias are seldom seen, the evidence that they leave behind in the form of damage to fruit, bark, and foliages is not so inconspicous. Along their trails, these animals leave scent marks and an abundance of fecal matter. They are social creatures, living in families ranging from a pair to six individuals. During the day, individuals rest together in very close contact with one another (Anderson et. al. 1983). When threatened, they chatter their teeth. If further disturbed, Jamaican hutias may emit calls ranging from grunts to chirping sounds (Anderson, Jones et al. 1984).

Jamaican hutias are nocturnal foragers. These herbivores feed on numerous plant species and plant parts. They scour large expanses of land for any exposed roots, bark, shoots, and fruit. Geocapromys brownii also eat the foliage from a great variety of plant species (Anderson et al. 1983).

Jamaican hutias can inflict considerable damage to fruit, bark, and foliage. But there have not been any recorded complaints of damage to commercial or food crops (Anderson, Jones et al. 1984).

Jamaican hutias are still used as a food source by local peoples. They are widely hunted by means of traps or dogs (Parker 1990).

The IUCN had classified G. brownii as vulnerable. There has been concern that Jamaican hutias may soon be wiped out because of human activities. A few of its fellow species have already gone extinct from other Caribbean islands. In the past 30 years, this species has declined drastically due to human activities. Hutias are protected under Jamaica's Wildlife Protection Act of 1945, but it has not been enforced and the hunting continues. This species continues to decline because of the demand for agricultural lands. Mongooses also have been introduced to the region and have been partly to blame for the popululation losses (Anderson et al. 1983).

The fate of the Jamaican hutia appears to be grim, but their habitats may be preserved. A National Park system has been proposed which would include much of the native habitat of the species. A captive breeding program is also underway with reintroduction planned in the near future (Anderson, Jones et al. 1984). In an effort to raise conservation awareness, Jamaica issued a set of four postage stamps featuring hutias (Anderson et al. 1983).