Mesocapromys melanurus (Poey 1865)

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Rodentia - Family Capromyidae, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 2, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 1593-1599 : 1596

Mesocapromys melanurus (Poey 1865)

[Capromys] melanurus Poey 1865 , in: Peters, 1865, Monatsb. K. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin: 384.

Type Locality: Cuba, Manzanillo, Gramma Prov. (Oriente region).

Vernacular Names: Black-tailed Hutia.

Synonyms: Mesocapromys arboricolus Kratochvíl, Rodriguez, and Barus 1978 ; Mesocapromys rufescens Mohr 1839 .

Distribution: Eastern provinces of Cuba.

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (nt) as Mysateles melanurus . Locally abundant in Guisa, Gramma Prov., but uncommon in other regions of the eastern provinces ( Borroto et al., 2001).

Discussion: The author and date of publication for this species are usually given as Peters, 1864, but Varona (1974:63), established the correct author and date as Poey, 1865. Includes arboricolus of Kratochvíl et al. (1978:48), who placed it in the genus Mysateles , subgenus Leptocapromys . However, this specimen is considered to be a young female M. melanurus by Varona (1986:7). We have examined this specimen, and concur with Varona. Woods et al. (2001) concluded that Mysateles was paraphyletic and that the affinities of melanurus are with taxa of the genus Mesocapromys rather than with Mysateles p. prehensilis or M. p. gundlachi .