The Jutía is a small rodent mammal also known as hutía, characteristic of the native fauna of Cuba, and like many other species, it is also in danger of extinction.
The Jutia is brown or white in color and has a thick tail covered in hair that allows these animals to cling to trees.
They are animals that feed on vegetables, wild fruits, tree bark, roots and leaves, tubers and tender shoots of shrubs and trees.
They consume practically no water. Like all rodents, they have two teeth called incisors in the upper jaw and two in the lower jaw, which grow continuously and are regulated by wear. Their extremities have four well-developed fingers.
Some species are known to have a gestation period of about four months and can give birth to up to four young. Females have four teats to feed them.
They spend much of their time perched in trees, although others prefer the ground. They are nocturnal and usually move in pairs. They are very fond of sitting on their hind limbs, as this allows them to freely use their front legs as hands.
They are animals native to Cuba but can also be found in Jamaica, the Bahamas and other areas of the Lesser Antilles.
The Jutía Conga, large and robust, is the best known and most common in the west and east, also in the municipality of Trinidad, province of Sancti Spíritus, as well as in the islets of Cuba and in the special municipality of Isla de la Juventud. This large rodent usually lives in caves, between the roots of plants, in crevices or between rocks.
The Jutía Carabalí is the best known after the Conga, more elegant and less robust and with a very long tail. This smaller rodent is not easy to keep in captivity because of its aggressiveness, and it also refuses to eat. It abounds in the west and center of Cuba. It lives in places of abundant vegetation, and it is always on trees, it is an arboreal species.
However, there are other lesser-known Jutias, such as the Jutia Andaraz, very aggressive and exclusive to eastern Cuba; the Jutia Enana, which looks more like a large rat with a very long tail and cream and yellow fur, and is practically extinct because it is confined to the Zapata swamps in the province of Matanzas, on islets in the marshes; as well as the Jutia Rata and the Jutia de Tierra whose geographical distribution is limited to a few islets.
Some unscrupulous poachers are still the main predator of Cuban Jutías, because the quality of their meat is highly valued, despite laws that severely punish their hunting and trade.
Some peasants capture the very small Jutías to try to tame them, and thus transform them into a unique pet, certainly very affectionate and very mischievous.
Comentarios