The Haitian Edible Rat was described in 1929 based on subfossil remains.

In pre-European times, the native spiny rats of the Caribbean were very common and were an important part of the diet of the indigenous people.

Most of the known species – including this one – did not become extinct until a short time after the arrival of the Europeans. [1][2][3]

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References:

[1] Gerrit S. Miller: A second collection of mammals from caves near St. Michel, Haiti. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 81(9): 1-30. 1929
[2] Samuel T. Turvey: Holocene Extinctions. Oxford University Press, USA 2009
[3] Alexandra van der Geer; George Lyras; John de Vos; Michael Dermitzakis: Evolution of Island Mammals: Adaptation and Extinction of Placental Mammals on Islands. John Wiley & Sons 2010

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Photo from: ‘Gerrit S. Miller: A second collection of mammals from caves near St. Michel, Haiti. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 81(9): 1-30. 1929’

(not in copyright)

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edited: 05.05.2022