EndangeredHispaniolan Solenodon
Solenodon paradoxus
One of the 2 solenodons on WAnimals
Mammals · Eulipotyphla · Solenodontidae
Solenodon cubanus
At very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future.
The Cuban solenodon — known locally as the almiquí — is an insectivore endemic to eastern Cuba and one of the rarest mammals in the Caribbean. It has an extremely long, flexible snout, hinged by a ball-and-socket joint unique among mammals, with which it searches for invertebrates under the leaf litter and in the cracks of the karst ground. Its lineage separated from the rest of the placental mammals tens of millions of years ago. It went for decades without any records and was given up for extinct several times before turning up again.
Weight
800 g – 1.1 kg
Size
28 cm – 39 cm
Life expectancy
11 years
Diet
Insectivore
Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sources consulted: Wikipedia (es): Solenodon cubanus
The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Cuban Solenodon — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
The cuban solenodon is classified as endangered. Organisations such as the IUCN, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 1 protected area — one reason why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Based on what we already know about cuban solenodon.
