Mesocapromys nanus (G. M. Allen, 1917)

Charles A. Woods, 1993, Order Rodentia - Suborder Hystricognathi, Mammal Species of the World (2 nd Edition), Washington and London: Smithsonian Institution Press, pp. 771-806 : 801

Mesocapromys nanus (G. M. Allen, 1917) . Proc. New England Zool. Club, 6:54.

TYPE LOCALITY: Cuba, Matanzas Prov., Sierra de Hato Nuevo .

DISTRIBUTION: Cienaga (swamp) de Zapata (Matanzas Prov., Cuba).

STATUS: U.S. ESA and IUCN - Endangered. Some mammalogists consider this species to be extinct since no specimens have been collected since 1937, but it is still likely to survive in remote areas of the Zapata Swamp (Jorge de la Cruz, pers. comm.).

COMMENTS: Placed in newly created subgenus Pygmaeocapromys by Varona (1979:5). In genus Mesocapromys , subgenus Paracapromys by Kratochvil et al. (1978:15), and Rodriguez et al. (1979). However, retained in Capromys subgenus Mysateles by Hall (1981:863) because of its long tail and small body size. Varona (1979:5), however, stated that even though this species "automatically" is associated with Mysateles because of tail length, there are important cranial differences between nanus and other Mysateles . Originally based on fossil material, but subsequently found living in the Zapata Swamp.