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© Jose Nunez-Mino, Durrell Species of the Day: Hispaniolan Solenodon Geographical range www.iucnredlist.org www.thelastsurvivors.org Help Save Species www.arkive.org The Hispaniolan Solenodon, Solenodon paradoxus, is listed as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. It is a large shrew-like animal and one of very few mammals capable of producing toxic saliva, which it injects into its invertebrate prey through grooves in its incisors. Mainly found in the Dominican Republic, it also clings on in Haiti’s Massif de la Hotte, and occupies a range of habitats from coastal dry scrub up to highelevation pine forest. The Hispaniolan Solenodon represents a remarkable amount of unique evolutionary history, diverging from other living mammal groups some 75 million years ago, before the extinction of the dinosaurs. It is now threatened by widespread forest destruction through charcoal production and clearance for agriculture or urban development. It is also under pressure from predation by feral dogs and other invasive species. The Dominican Republic’s network of protected areas offers some protection to the Hispaniolan Solenodon’s remaining habitat. A recently initiated project is conducting field research to assess the species’ status, threats and specific conservation requirements. Species of the Day is sponsored by The production of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is made possible through the IUCN Red List Partnership: IUCN (including the Species Survival Commission), BirdLife International, Conservation International, NatureServe and Zoological Society of London.