Hispaniolan solenodon
| Hispaniolan solenodon | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Eulipotyphla |
| Family: | Solenodontidae |
| Genus: | Solenodon |
| Species: | S. paradoxus |
| Binomial name | |
| Solenodon paradoxus Brandt, 1833 | |
| Hispaniolan solenodon range (brown) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Solenodon woodi | |
The Hispaniolan solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus), also known as the agouta, is a small, furry, shrew-like mammal endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (in the Dominican Republic and Haiti). Like other solenodons, it is a venomous, insect-eating animal that lives in burrows and is active at night. It is an elusive animal and was only first described in 1833; its numbers are stable in protected forests but it remains the focus of conservation efforts.
Its smaller sister species of the same genus, Marcano's solenodon (S. marconoi) became extinct after European colonization. The Hispaniolan solenodon and the rat-like Hispaniolan hutia live in the same habitats and are the only surviving mammals native to the island.