cuba’s caves are home to a much rarer
mammal than the bat
the houthia a rodent the size of a small
dog
hutias are found only in the caribbean
and cuba
is their stronghold
they’re nimble climbers and have long
whiskers to help them feel their way
around the limestone alleys in the dark
hold up below ground hutia avoid the
heat of the day
but as the temperature drops they emerge
into the late afternoon sun
even in the open though these shy
creatures are not easy to spot
this is the first time anyone has filmed
them in the wild
this sharp rocky terrain is far from a
caribbean paradise
but these tough little rodents make
themselves at home
they communicate with their family
groups with high-pitched squeaks at the
limit of what humans can hear
how do they survive on this bare
limestone rock
the hooties secret is a three chambered
stomach
which allows it to extract enough
nutrition and water from even the driest
most toxic plants
but it’s no picnic on this caribbean
coast
there’s yet another creature that roams
cuba’s underworld
it emerges mostly at night and stays
close to its hole
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but once a year triggered by rain
the females all emerge on mass
millions of female red crabs march
together
in one of the largest mass migrations in
the world
this marathon can cover nearly 10
kilometers
and take days
especially if they take a wrong turn
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so where are they going and why
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they’re heading for the caribbean sea
with one purpose in mind
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these may be air-breathing land crabs
but they still need water for one thing
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to breed
each crab is carrying a pouch of
precious eggs
and now she has to cast on adrift
without letting herself be swept away
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once the eggs hit water they hatch into
tiny larvae
and in about a month’s time they’ll
climb back ashore to start their life on
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land
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