Hispaniolan solenodon  (Solenodon paradoxus)

Once one of the dominant carnivores on Hispaniola, the solenodon is now greatly threatened by predation from introduced cats, dogs and mongooses brought to the island with the arrival of the Europeans (1) (2). Even back in 1907, when a Mr Verill attempted to find the solenodon in the Dominican Republic, he attributed its restricted range to the presence of the mongoose, and felt that it was only a question of time before the mongoose would cause the solenodon’s extinction (4). The destruction of forests on the island poses another significant threat to the solenodon, an animal which is particularly vulnerable to any negative impact due to its low reproductive rate (1) (2).

There is thought to be little hope for this species in Haiti (2), but in the Dominican Republic, the Hispaniolan solenodon occurs in the Madre de las Aguas Conservation Area and Del Este National Park (5). These areas still face threats from logging, agriculture and cattle ranching, however conservation organisations, such as The Nature Conservancy, are working to address these threats and implement management plans for protected areas (5). Whilst the focus of efforts should be to conserve this species in protected forest reserves, the enormous pressure from increasing human populations on Hispaniola may mean the survival of this unique mammal ultimately depends on zoos (2).