First ever footage of the Hispaniolan solenodon has emerged from a conversation group working in the Dominican Republic. The Hispaniolan solenodon was thought to be extinct due to habitat loss, but this video proves otherwise. The shrew-like creature is nocturnal and is believed to eat insects. Like certain shrews and the duck-billed platypus, it can administer poison, in this case via specialized teeth. The solenodon is believed to be the last living species in an evolutionary line of mammals that dates back 65 million years.
National Geographic has a more exclusive video on their website that shows the little thing making squeaking noises as well.
A snapshot from the National Geographic report.
Life Science
Comments
Is it my imagination or does it growl like a lion about 7 seconds into the clip?
Posted by: pough | January 14, 2009 5:03 PM
ROUS's? I don't think they exist.
Posted by: The Science Pundit | January 14, 2009 5:22 PM
RAWR!
Posted by: An ROUS | January 14, 2009 6:02 PM
Oh I see what you did there. You put a picture from Princess Bride and pretended it was from National Geographic.
Posted by: mikes | January 14, 2009 6:06 PM
Extinct? I don't think that word means what you think it means.
Posted by: Moopheus | January 14, 2009 7:00 PM
That *is* the brute squad.
Posted by: Mike Keesey | January 14, 2009 9:44 PM
A Platypus (only if it is male) has venomous spurs on its hind limbs, rather than delivering venom through his teeth.
I wonder what they use the venom for (Soledons I mean, although I'm not sure about Platypuses either)?
Blarina brevicauda (the common venomous shrew in northern North America) uses its venom to subdue voles (experiments show that voles are more sensitive to Blarina venom then other mammals) and also to paralyze crickets and other invert prey that are cached in burrows.
So do the Solenodons use it primarily for defense, to subdue larger prey, or to paralyze prey for caching?
Posted by: MattK | January 14, 2009 11:00 PM
In-con-ceivable!
Posted by: Doug Alder | January 15, 2009 12:32 AM
Moopheus: thought to be extinct. Now proven otherwise. Am I missing something?
Posted by: Myles | January 15, 2009 2:40 AM
"emerged from a conversation group "
Amazing what can come up when a gaggle of yakkers free-associate!
Posted by: djlactin | January 15, 2009 11:52 PM
"emerged from a conversation group "
Amazing what can come up when a gaggle of yakkers free-associate!
Posted by: djlactin | January 15, 2009 11:56 PM
That thing is amazing! It growls like a lion, says "daddy", chirps like a bird and crows like a rooster. They need to clone that thing fast! The only other know living animals that can do that are parakeets, parrots, and a few other birds.
They probably use the poison to immobilize anything that makes fun of their ability to mimic other animals.
HEY, what's that! OWWW!!! Something bit me...looks like a mouse kindaaa tthhiingggggg
Posted by: Dwayne | January 16, 2009 12:47 PM
This creature is nothing short of outstanding!
Posted by: Mrs. Grackle | January 16, 2009 2:45 PM
That second image reminds me of my mother-in-law on the day that she found out I was quitting my job to become a full time photographer.
It was a interesting day for sure!
Posted by: Michael Brown | January 19, 2009 5:02 PM
This thing looks like it could use a dentist...
Posted by: bowling news | September 11, 2009 2:27 PM