Giant Hutia
Amblyrhiza inundata
🐀
Chordata
Mammalia
Rodentia
Heptaxodontidae
Amblyrhiza inundata
Once a Caribbean giant, Amblyrhiza inundata was a massive rodent native to the Anguilla and Saint Martin islands, comparable in size to a small bear. Despite its size, it likely had a slow, herbivorous lifestyle, feeding on tough island vegetation.
Description
The blunt-toothed giant hutia was a massive rodent native to the islands of Anguilla and Saint Martin in the Caribbean. Weighing between 50 and 200 kilograms, it was comparable in size to an American black bear and significantly larger than the modern capybara, the largest living rodent. Its teeth were blunt, suggesting a herbivorous diet that likely included a variety of vegetation. The skeletal structure indicates a robust body with relatively gracile forelimbs, a large head, trunk, and hind limbs. Due to the limited fossil record, specific details about its external appearance and behavior remain speculative.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
200
1.2
1.8
2
kg
m
m
m
Mixed Feeder
Omnivores – Balanced
Hunt History
Although no direct cut marks or weapon remains have been found on Amblyrhiza fossils, its extinction correlates closely with the arrival of archaic humans or early Amerindians in the Caribbean. Given the rodent’s large size, slow movement, and likely lack of natural fear of humans (due to island isolation), it would have been an easy and energy-efficient target. If early humans reached these islands by the Late Pleistocene, they may have hunted the rodent for meat and hide.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Globally Extinct
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
10000
BP
Late Pleistocene
Carribean
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Medium
Fat %
5
Est. Renderable Fat
10
kg
Targeted Organs
Visceral & subcutaneous
Adipose Depots
Visceral/subcutaneous (general)
Preferred Cuts
Visceral depot
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
3