Bahamian hutia | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Echimyidae |
Tribe: | Capromyini |
Genus: | Geocapromys |
Species: | G. ingrahami
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Binomial name | |
Geocapromys ingrahami (J. A. Allen, 1891)
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The Bahamian hutia or Ingraham's hutia (Geocapromys ingrahami) is a small, furry, rat-like mammal found only in the Bahamas. About the size of a rabbit, it lives in burrows in forests or shrubland, emerging at night to feed on leaves, fruit, and other plant matter. It was believed extinct until rediscovery in 1964, and it remains the focus of conservation efforts. The Bahamian hutia is a member of the hutia subfamily (Capromyinae), a group of rodents native to the Caribbean, many of which are endangered or extinct.