Hispaniolan Solenodon[1]
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN) [2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Soricomorpha Family: Solenodontidae Genus: Solenodon Species: S. paradoxus
Binomial name
Solenodon paradoxus Brandt, 1833

The Hispanioan Solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus), also known as the Haitian Solenodon or Agouta, is a solenodon only found on the island of Hispaniola, shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and was unknown to science until 1833, when it was first described by Brandt. There was also another species present on the island, S. marcanoi, which became extinct after the initial colonization period. All solenodon species belong to the order Soricomorpha and the family Solenodontidae. The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn2. ... The critically endangered Amur Tiger, a rare subspecies of tiger. ... The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... Animalia redirects here. ... {{{subdivision_ranks}}} See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... I smoke weed im growing a blue penis dude#REDIRECT penises are cool ... Families Nesophontidae Solenodontidae Soricidae Talpidae The order Soricomorpha is a biological clade within the class of mammals. ... Genera Atopogale Solenodon Species Atopogale cubana Solenodon paradoxus Solenodon marcanoi (extinct) The family Solenodontidae are nocturnal, burrowing, insectivorous mammals. ... Species Solenodon [Atopogale] cubanus Solenodon paradoxus The family Solenodontidae are nocturnal, burrowing, insectivorous mammals. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Johann Friedrich von Brandt (May 25, 1802 - July 15, 1879) was a German naturalist. ... Species Solenodon [Atopogale] cubanus Solenodon paradoxus The family Solenodontidae are nocturnal, burrowing, insectivorous mammals. ... Early map of Hispaniola The island of Hispaniola (from Spanish, La Española) is the second-largest island of the Antilles, lying between the islands of Cuba to the west, and Puerto Rico to the east. ... Families Nesophontidae Solenodontidae Soricidae Talpidae The order Soricomorpha is a biological clade within the class of mammals. ... Genera Atopogale Solenodon Species Atopogale cubana Solenodon paradoxus Solenodon marcanoi (extinct) The family Solenodontidae are nocturnal, burrowing, insectivorous mammals. ...

Description and behaviour

S. paradoxus looks much like an oversized shrew. It weighs between 0.6 and 1.0 kg, and is 28 to 33 cm long (the tail measures an extra 25 cm). It has brownish-red fur on most of its body, the underside being a lighter shade. The tail, legs, snout and eartips are hairless. The forelegs are noticeably more developed than the hind ones, but all have strong claws useful for digging. Genera Anourosorex Blarina Blarinella Chimarrogale Chodsigoa Congosorex Crocidura Cryptotis Diplomosodon Episoriculus Feroculus Megasorex Myosorex Nectogale Neomys Nesiotites Notiosorex Paracrocidura Ruwenzorisorex Scutisorex Solisorex Sorex Soriculus Suncus Surdisorex Sylvisorex Shrews are small, superficially mouse-like mammals of the family Soricidae. ...

The head is very big in relation to its body, and it has a long rostrum with tiny eyes and ears, partially hidden by the body fur. An interesting singularity is the os proboscis, a bone located on the tip of the rostrum that supports the snout cartilage. The dental formula for the species is 3/3, 1/1, 3/3, 3/3 = 40. The second lower incisor has a narrow groove (Solenodon derives from the Greek "grooved tooth") through which a venomous saliva secreted by the submaxillary gland flows, making the solenodon one of only a handful of venomous mammals. Rostrum can mean one of several different things: A rostrum (Latin beak) is an anatomical structure resembling a birds beak, such as the snout of crocodiles or dolphins or the part of the carapace of a crustacean. ... Dentition is the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. ... Incisors are the first kind of tooth in heterodont mammals. ... The submandibular gland (or submaxillary gland in older references) is one of the salivary glands, responsible for producing saliva. ... Reptiles (e. ...

Sexes are similar. Males have an unexposed penis and the testes are hidden deep within the abdominal cavity. Females, even though they have an irregular estrus period that is apparently unrelated to seasonal changes, may have two litters of 1-3 young per year. Usually, only 2 of the offspring (weighing 40 to 55 grams) survive, because the female only has two teats, which are found in a most unusual place: near the buttocks of the animal. The young are weaned after 75 days, though the young may sometimes remain with the parents while subsequent litters are born and raised, making it possible that up to 8 animals share the same burrow. Solenodons may fight each other on first meeting, but eventually they establish a dominance relationship and live together in captivity in relative harmony. Human male anatomy The testicles, known medically as testes (singular testis), are the male generative glands in animals. ... Estrus (also spelled œstrus) or heat in female mammals is the period of greatest female sexual responsiveness usually coinciding with ovulation. ... A litter of pigs A litter is a group of newly born, young animals from the same mother and usually from one set of parents. ... A cow udder with 4 teats Teat is an alternative word for a nipple or breast. ... Bith buttocks. ...

As well as having a venomous bite, a solenodon has glands in the armpits and in the groin which allegedly give off a goat-like smell. It readily defends itself against one of its own kind and is apparently not immune to its own venom since animals have been seen to die after fighting and sustaining minor wounds. It also probably attacks other animals savagely judging from the way a captive solenodon was reported to have attacked a young chicken and tore it to pieces with its strong claws, before eating it. In moments of excitement it may grunt like a pig or give bird-like cries, but when pursued it stays motionless and hides its head, making it easy to capture.

One reason why the solenodon was unknown to science for so long is that it is nocturnal in its habits, an effect of this being it's highly developed senses of hearing, smell and touch. Also, they are not very numerous, so their influence in an ecosystem is practically nil. During day hours, they hide in their burrows, trees and hollowed-out logs or in caves, remaining hidden from view. When they do come out, they run on their toes with a stiff ungainly waddle, following an erratic almost zigzag course. The local people claim that solenodons never run in a straight line. Moreover, when a solenodon is alarmed and tries to put on speed it is as likely as not to trip over its own toes or even tumble head-over-heels. An ecosystem, a contraction of ecological and system, refers to the collection of biotic and abiotic components and processes that comprise, and govern the behaviour of some defined subset of the biosphere. ... Burrows is a provincial electoral division in the Canadian province of Manitoba. ...

Solenodons eat a wide variety of animals, like arthropods, worms and snails, as well as small reptiles; they may also feed on roots, fruits and foliage (however, a study found that solenodons refused all forms of vegetation). They probe the earth with their snout, and dig or rip open rotten logs with their claws. Solenodons in captivity have been seen to bathe often and to drink only when bathing. Perhaps the long snout makes any other way difficult. Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - spiders,scorpions, etc. ... This article is about the leaf, a plant organ. ...

Ecology

Considering that the solenodon is a slow moving clumsy runner, with no adaptation to predators and poor means of defense (it didn't need to evolve them given the lack of native enemies), it is accepted that once feral dog (Canis lupus familiaris) and cat (Felis catus) populations started becoming established, adding to the intruduction of the Small Asian Mongoose (specificaly subspecies Herpestes javanicus auropunctatus) as a means to supposedly control rats in sugar cane fields, its future began to look bleak. Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog is a mammal in the order Carnivora. ... Trinomial name Felis silvestris catus (Linnaeus, 1758) The cat (or domestic cat, house cat) is a small carnivorous mammal. ... This is an article about wild rats; for pet rats, see Fancy rat Species 50 species; see text *Several subfamilies of Muroids include animals called rats. ... Species Ref: ITIS 42058 as of 2004-05-05 Sugarcane is one of six species of a tall tropical southeast Asian grass (Family Poaceae) having stout fibrous jointed stalks whose sap at one time was the primary source of sugar. ...

The solenodon's habitat is usually wooded or brushy areas, frequently close to developed agricultural land, where they are able to dig their complex underground burrows. The loss of adequate environment, added to the predation by introduced species has contributed to making the solenodon a critically endangered animal, whose numbers have dropped dramatically during the last decades. As a matter of fact, it was considered to be practically extinct until 1907, when it was found living in the interior of the island. It was not considered to be in immediate danger early in the twentieth century. In 1966 it was known to occur in several localities in the Dominican Republic. As of 1981, after extensive searching, it was concluded that the solenodon was 'functionally extinct' in Haiti, persisting only in the remote mountains of the south. In 1987 it still occurred in both countries but was thought to be particularly threatened in Haiti. It still occurred in both countries as of 1996. The most recent sightings in the wild (with photographic evidence) were in early 2005 (E.M. Fernández et al.). It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into invasive species. ...

Currently, the solenodon may only be surviving in two places in the Domincan Republic: Jaragua and Del Este National Parks. Its presence in Los Haitises National Park is inferred but unconfirmed. Jaragua National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Jaragua) is a national park of the Dominican Republic. ... Partial list of National parks in Dominican Republic. ... Partial list of National parks in Dominican Republic. ...

See also

• Hispaniolan Hutia

Binomial name Plagiodontia aedium (F. Cuvier, 1836) Plagiodontia aedium is one of several rodent species called hutia (also called zagouti, and jutía in Spanish) to have inhabited at some time the island of Hispaniola (island shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti). ...

References

• Solenodon Paradoxus, by Adam Eatroff
• Solenodon, from the International Wildlife Encyclopedia
• Haitian Solenodon, by Paul Massicot
• Solenodons, from Walker's Mammals of the World Online

November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 30 is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 1 day remaining. ...

External links

• EDGE of Existence S. paradoxus - Saving the World's most Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species

• The Hispaniolan Solenodon (see talk page also)
• Eladio M. Fernández - Caribbean Nature Photography
• Picture of S. paradoxus Best photo available on the web.
• Animal Info - Haitian Solenodon