Garrido's Hutia
Encyclopedia
Garrido's hutia is a critically endangered species
that is found in the Greater Antillean
moist forests Global 200
ecoregion. Its previous range is thought to have included small islands in the Banco de los Jardins y Jardinillos of the Canarreos Archipelago
south of the Zapata Peninsula
and east of the Isle of Youth
. A single animal was collected around 1970 on Cayos Maja off of south-central Cuba
. In 1989, two additional animals were captured alive in keys near Cayos Maja. Human activity in the animal's range is increasing. Hutia are hunted by fishermen.
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
that is found in the Greater Antillean
Greater Antilles
The Greater Antilles are one of three island groups in the Caribbean. Comprising Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico, the Greater Antilles constitute almost 90% of the land mass of the entire West Indies.-Greater Antilles in context :The islands of the Caribbean Sea, collectively known as...
moist forests Global 200
Global 200
The Global 200 is the list of ecoregions identified by the World Wildlife Fund as priorities for conservation. According to the WWF, an ecoregion is defined as a "relatively large unit of land or water containing a characteristic set of natural communities that share a large majority of their...
ecoregion. Its previous range is thought to have included small islands in the Banco de los Jardins y Jardinillos of the Canarreos Archipelago
Canarreos Archipelago
Canarreos Archipelago is an archipelago of Cuba.It is located south of the main island of Cuba, in the Caribbean Sea, at . It is bordered to the east by the Gulf of Cazones, to the north by the Gulf of Batabano and to the west by the Los Indios Channel....
south of the Zapata Peninsula
Zapata Peninsula
Zapata Peninsula is a large peninsula in Matanzas Province, southern Cuba, at . Ciénaga de Zapata National Park is located on the peninsula....
and east of the Isle of Youth
Isle of Youth
Isla de la Juventud is the second-largest Cuban island and the seventh-largest island in the West Indies . The island has an area and is 100 km south of the island of Cuba, across the Gulf of Batabanó...
. A single animal was collected around 1970 on Cayos Maja off of south-central Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. In 1989, two additional animals were captured alive in keys near Cayos Maja. Human activity in the animal's range is increasing. Hutia are hunted by fishermen.