DESMAREST´S HUTIA

CHARACTERISTICS: Rodent of 20 to 60cm in length with a prehensile tail of 15 to 30cm. It weighs an average of 7 Kg, in adult state. The fur may be black to chestnut red or light chestnut.
DIET: Fruit, seeds, leaves, bark and small vertebrates
REPRODUCTION: Reproduction takes place at any time of year, although it is more evident in the month of June, being related to the wet season and the availability of food. Gestation lasts 142 days and the young are suckled for around two months. They are born with their eyes open and are normally capable of walking at the moment of birth, remaining close to the mother until the next birth.
CURIOSITIES: The stomach is divided into three compartments and is more complex than that of other rodents. They mark their territory with urine, both males and females, to communicate with members of their own species. They are normally solitary although they can be found in family groups of some ten individuals.