Geocapromys brownii

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	RODENTIA	CAPROMYIDAE

Scientific Name:

Geocapromys brownii

Species Authority:

(J. Fischer, 1830)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Brown's Hutia, Indian Coney, Jamaican Hutia

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Vulnerable B1ab(iii,v) ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s

Turvey, S. & Dávalos, L.

Evaluator/s:

McKnight, M. (Global Mammal Assessment Team) & Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority)

Justification:
Listed as Vulnerable in view of its extent of occurrence of less than 20,000 km², severely fragmented distribution and continuing decline in the number of individuals and extent and quality of habitat. There is a need for current information on the status of this species as much of what we know is outdated.

History:

1996	–	Vulnerable
1994	–	Indeterminate (IUCN)
1990	–	Rare (IUCN 1990)
1990	–	Indeterminate (IUCN 1990)
1988	–	Indeterminate
1986	–	Indeterminate (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1986)
1982	–	Indeterminate

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species occurs in Jamaica (Woods and Kilpatrick 2005). Very little current information is available for it.
Countries:	Native: Jamaica
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	This species is still relatively widespread on Jamaica, but patchily distributed. Known from 16 population sites where it is fairly abundant in some areas - however, these sites are severely fragmented. Some populations are very small and threatened while larger populations remain as a stronghold.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This hutia is now restricted to remote karstic areas, hills and mountainous regions, where there is an abundance of natural crevices and tunnels. It is almost exclusively nocturnal, emerging at night to forage over a wide area on exposed roots, bark, shoots, fruits, and foliage of a large variety of plant species. This species lives in social family groups of two to six individuals. Smaller families, pairs, and single individuals apparently inhabit smaller or more accessible holes. Little is known of reproduction in the wild. In captivity, this species bears one or two, rarely three, young at a time. Triplets have been recorded in only 3 of 47 parturitions. The gestation period is approximately 123 days with an average interbirth interval of 168 days (n = 27). The earliest primiparous birth recorded was at the age of one year. In captivity, breeding has occurred throughout the year (Anderson et al. 1983).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

This hutia is now restricted to remote karstic areas, hills and mountainous regions, where there is an abundance of natural crevices and tunnels. It is almost exclusively nocturnal, emerging at night to forage over a wide area on exposed roots, bark, shoots, fruits, and foliage of a large variety of plant species. This species lives in social family groups of two to six individuals. Smaller families, pairs, and single individuals apparently inhabit smaller or more accessible holes. Little is known of reproduction in the wild. In captivity, this species bears one or two, rarely three, young at a time. Triplets have been recorded in only 3 of 47 parturitions. The gestation period is approximately 123 days with an average interbirth interval of 168 days (n = 27). The earliest primiparous birth recorded was at the age of one year. In captivity, breeding has occurred throughout the year (Anderson et al. 1983).

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Ongoing human-induced habitat loss and degradation, as well as hunting continue to be major threats to this species. Introduced mongoose is a threat to the species, as well as predation by dogs.

Major Threat(s):

Ongoing human-induced habitat loss and degradation, as well as hunting continue to be major threats to this species. Introduced mongoose is a threat to the species, as well as predation by dogs.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Occurs in a number of protected areas, however, little enforcement is in place and refuges do not prevent threats such as introduced mongoose.

Conservation Actions:

Occurs in a number of protected areas, however, little enforcement is in place and refuges do not prevent threats such as introduced mongoose.

Citation:	Turvey, S. & Dávalos, L. 2008. Geocapromys brownii. In: IUCN 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 21 March 2010.
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