
Solenodontidae
Sign in to saveSolenodons (; from Ancient Greek σωλήν (sōlḗn), meaning "channel, pipe", and ὀδούς (odoús), meaning "tooth") are venomous, nocturnal, burrowing, insectivorous mammals belonging to the family Solenodontidae . The two living solenodon species are the Cuban solenodon (Atopogale cubana) and the Hispaniolan solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus). Threats to both species include habitat destruction and predation by non-native cats, dogs, and mongooses, introduced by humans to the solenodons' home islands to control snakes and rodents.
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- monotypic taxon
- Parent taxon
- Eulipotyphla
- Image
- Hispaniolan Solenodon crop.jpg
Show 4 more facts
- taxon name
- Solenodontidae
- taxon rank
- family
- topic's main category
- Category:Solenodontidae
- Commons category
- Solenodontidae
Sources (1)
via Wikidata · CC0
~12 min read
Encyclopedic overview
13 sectionsContents
- Taxonomy
- Extant species
- Characteristics
- Reproduction
- Behavior
- Status
- Cuba
- Haiti
- Dominican Republic
- Conservation
- See also
- References
- External links
Solenodons (; from Ancient Greek σωλήν (sōlḗn), meaning "channel, pipe", and ὀδούς (odoús), meaning "tooth") are venomous, nocturnal, burrowing, insectivorous mammals belonging to the family Solenodontidae . The two living solenodon species are the Cuban solenodon (Atopogale cubana) and the Hispaniolan solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus). Threats to both species include habitat destruction and predation by non-native cats, dogs, and mongooses, introduced by humans to the solenodons' home islands to control snakes and rodents.
The Hispaniolan solenodon covers a wide range of habitats on the island of Hispaniola from lowland dry forest to highland pine forest. Two other described species became extinct during the Quaternary period. Oligocene North American genera, such as Apternodus, have been suggested as relatives of Solenodon, but the origins of the animal remain obscure.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Solenodontidae” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.