Painting the Hispaniolan Solenodon

Solenodons are pretty weird things (especially the Cuban one). They look a lot like the R.O.U.S.'s from the Princess Bride. They're a good trivia question too, with their venomous spit. I still have trouble mixing up various shades of the tannish color that a lot of animals like to be. This is yet another tiny-eyed creature.

Hispaniolan Solenodon

The Hispaniolan solenodon, Solenodon paradoxus, is a somewhat clumsy nocturnal burrower. This animal is unusual because it can secrete toxic saliva from a lower incisor, making it one of the very few venomous mammals. It also has a special bone known as the os proboscis that supports its long snout. Hispaniolan solenodons are found in the forests of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. They are in danger of extinction due to habitat loss and human-introduced predators.

EDGE Focal Species

The ZSL has chosen ten high-ranking species to be the focal species for 2007. These animals had little or no conservation attention, and will be researched further. Here are this year's focal species.

Yangtze River dolphin – Lipotes vexillifer
Long-beaked echidna – Zaglossus bruijni
Hispaniolan solenodon – Solenodon paradoxus
Bactrian camel – Camelus bactrianus
Pygmy hippopotamus – Hexaprotodon liberiensis
Slender loris – Loris tardigradus
Hirola – Damaliscus hunteri
Golden-rumped elephant shrew – Rhynchocyon chrysopygus
Bumblebee bat – Craseonycteris thonglongyai
Long-eared jerboa – Euchoreutes naso