This hutia lives in Cuba and nearby islands. Its back is often darker than its underside, and coat colors vary.
Its fur is thick and coarse, and the back is often darker than the underside. Reported colors include black, brown, yellow, and reddish tones.
It commonly eats leaves, fruits, and bark, and small lizards have also been recorded in its diet. It is often found in small groups of about two.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.