Desmarest's Hutia
Capromys pilorides
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderRodentia (Rosegadors)
- FamilyCapromyidae
- GenusCapromys
- SpeciesCapromys pilorides (Desmarest's Hutia)
Desmarest's hutia or the Cuban hutia (Capromys pilorides) is a stout, furry, rat-like mammal found only on Cuba and nearby islands. Growing to about 60 cm (2 ft), it normally lives in pairs and feeds on leaves, fruit, bark and sometimes small animals. It is the largest living hutia (subfamily Capromyinae), a group of rodents native to the Caribbean that are mostly endangered or extinct. Desmarest's hutia remains widespread throughout its range, though one subspecies (C. p. lewisi) native to the nearby Cayman Islands went extinct shortly after European colonization in the 1500s. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Desmarest's Hutia sighting in Ciénaga de Zapata, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ciénaga de Zapata | 🇨🇺 Cuba |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Desmarest's Hutia in Ciénaga de Zapata?
About 18% of wildlife watchers report a Desmarest's Hutia sighting in Ciénaga de Zapata, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Desmarest's Hutia in Ciénaga de Zapata?
July has the highest sighting rate for Desmarest's Hutia in Ciénaga de Zapata in our monthly data.