Puerto Rican hutia

The Puerto Rican hutia is an extinct species of rodent in the family Capromyidae. It was found on Hispaniola and Gonâve Island; it was introduced to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

History

The Puerto Rican hutia was believed to be a vital food source for the Taíno for many years; despite this, they continued to survive until the arrival of early European explorers. Christopher Columbus and his crew are believed to have eaten the species upon their arrival. The species declined following European colonization of the West Indies. It is unclear whether it survived after facing threats from the early introduction of black rats by the first European settlers around 1500, although it may have been finally wiped out by introduced small Indian mongooses in the 19th or early 20th century. Although commonly regarded as extinct, some researchers hold out hopes that the species still survives in undisturbed refuges.