All is quiet in the night-time Cuban jungle. A small moth lands upon a fallen log, its glittery white wings gleaming in the full moonlight. A leaf of a towering tree falls to join the pile of decaying matter, while the moth prepares to disembark. Right before the moth takes flight, a rustle is heard, and a dark form resembling a cross between a shrew and an anteater lumbers across the ground and pounces on the prey. The small figure, more recognizable in the bright moonlight of the clearing, is now recognizably a Solenodon, the approximately 2 foot long mammal of the forests of Cuba and Hispaniola (International Wildlife Encyclopedia).
A closer look at the Solenodon does not provide more aid to describing the small beast. The Solenodon has a light reddish-brown coat, formidable claws, and a long ten inch tail that accounts for almost half of its length. Even more bizarre is the long snout of the Solenodon. The Caribbean mammal is a prehistoric animal; its ancestors were members of the limited race of rodents that was not eliminated by the probable asteroid bombardment that eliminated the dinosaurs (BBC News). Perhaps the Solenodon’s most interesting trait lies in its biochemical weapons.
It is well-known that snakes have poisonous attributes and are dangerous, but very few know of the mammal that possesses a similar biting power: the Solenodon. Solenodons inject poison, non-lethal to humans but deadly to animals, into victims through its teeth. When in captivity, Solenodons act viciously, turning small skirmishes into deadly fights and savagely ripping chickens and other animals apart with terrifying grunts. It is likely that Solenodons act this way in nature when they encounter other animals.
Even though the Solenodon has tremendous biting power, it still faces the imminent threat of extinction. The mammals are very slow, clumsy beasts and find it difficult to walk or run in straight lines. These deficiencies make the Solenodon vulnerable to house pets such as cats, dogs, and even mongooses, all of which are foreign to Solenodon habitat. The introduction of these seemingly harmless pets has had a dramatic effect on the Solenodon population on the islands. Very few means of protection exist for the Solenodon; so the future looks bleak for these small but fierce animals.
As the Solenodon gulps down its meal and moves out of the clearing, another large rustle is heard from afar. Quickly, the Solenodon scurries away grunting in fear. A cat runs through the clearing, illuminated by the moon only for a moment, and disappears after the Solenodon, foreshadowing the black future of the endangered venomous creature, the Solenodon.