Solenodon paradoxus, Brandt, 1833

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2018, Solenodontidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 620-627 : 626-627

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Hispaniolan Solenodon

Solenodon paradoxus

French: Solénodonte d'Haiti / German: Haiti-Schlitzrissler / Spanish: Solenodonte

Other common names: Haitian Solenodon

Taxonomy. Solenodon paradoxus Brandt, 1833 ,

“Hispaniola.”

Morphological analysis of S. paradoxus from across Hispaniola by J. A. Ottenwalder in 2001 identified two subspecies in northern and southern Hispaniola, separated by the Neiba Valley or Cul-de-Sac/Hoya de Enriquillo Graben. Further morphometric and mtDNA analyses by S. T. Turvey and colleagues in 2016 supported recognition of distinct subspecies

in northern and south-eastern Hispaniola and recognized a third subspecies from the Massif de la Hotte, south-western Haiti, which is separated from other populations by the Jacmel-Fauché Depression or “Bond’s Line.” Three subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution. S.p.paradoxusBrandt,1833—widelydistributedacrossN&EDominicanRepublic. S. p. haitiensis Turvey et al., 2016 — Massif de la Hotte, Haiti; only confirmed to occur E of Pic Macaya near Duchity, although might also occur W ofthis locality near Deux Mammelles. S. p. wood: Ottenwalder, 2001 — Sierra de Baoruco and Barahona Peninsula in S Dominican Republic and adjacent SE Haiti.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 270-490 mm, tail 200-250 mm, ear 21-38 mm, hindfoot 56-72 mm; weight 620-1166 g. Sexes are externally similar, with no sexual dimorphism. The Hispaniolan Solenodon is dusky brown, rufous, or chestnut-brown, darker on dorsal surface of head and back and frequently with small oval white spot on nape of neck. Pelage is short, thin, and relatively sparse; there is little underfur, less fur on feet and face, and extended naked glandular area on thighs and rump. Os proboscis is present in adults, subadults, and juveniles. Compared with the Cuban Solenodon ( Atopogale cubana ), canines are slightly smaller, and upper and lower premolars are relatively narrow. Upper canines, P', and P* have accessory cusps. Diastema is reduced or absent between I° and C' and absent between I? and I’ and between C! and P!. Vertebral formulais 7C, 16 T, 4 L., 4 S, 24 Ca, total 55, and sternum has six pieces. Tibia and fibula can be distally fused in adults. Subspecies differ in craniodental proportions and overall body size; nominate paradoxus is the largest, and wood: is the smallest.

Habitat. Usually good-quality forest in a variety of different primary tropical forest types, including dry, moist and wet broadleaf, and high-elevation pine forests, and human-modified landscapes including secondary regrowth, pasture, and agriculture, from sea level to elevations above 2000 m (less common at elevations above 1000 m). The Hispaniolan Solenodon typically uses limestone caves and rocky clefts for denning and is often associated with karstic limestone areas. Highly threatened subspecies haitiensis persists in habitats degraded by humans, consisting of a disturbed mosaic of small broadleaf forest patches in an agricultural matrix on karstic limestone plateau at elevations of 750-1400 m.

Food and Feeding. The Hispaniolan Solenodon typically forages on the ground but also in deep leaf litter. Documented prey items in the wild include annelids, land snails, land crabs, arachnids, myriapods, adult and larval insects, frogs, lizards, and birds.

Breeding. Breeding of the Hispaniolan Solenodon might peak during dry season (September-March), with born young at start of or during rainy season. Gestation is thought to be at least 84 days. Typical litters have one young, with a maximum of two. Males and females reach adult body size before eight months of age and might reach sexual maturity after one year, with age of first reproduction probably c.18 months. Interbirth interval is estimated at c.145 days, with an average of two litters a year. Generation length is estimated at 1902 days.

Activity patterns. The Hispaniolan Solenodon is nocturnal and remains in a sleepingresting phase during the day in a natural den that provides dry shelter, typically in a cleft between rocks or small cave. Daytime resting is interrupted only by brief trips

outside the den to urinate, defecate, or drink. There is a sudden start of activity at or after 18:00 h. Nocturnal activity is characterized by successive foraging trips at variable intervals, with considerable time spent exploring and with peaks between 20:00 h and 24:00 h. Little crepuscular activity is observed.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Hispaniolan Solenodons occur at a reported density of 2 ind/km? in the Barahona Peninsula, southern Dominican Republic. They are relatively social and live in family groups of an adult pair and 1-2 young; subadults leave family groups at 10-18 months old.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCNRed List, although classified as Endangered until recently. The Hispaniolan Solenodon was once distributed across Hispaniola, including Gonave Island in western Haiti, but is now extirpated across most of Haiti. It was previously considered to be rare and declining, with highly fragmented populations. Recent surveys across the Dominican Republic have shown that itis still widely distributed across much of the country, occurring in numerous protected areas including Sierra de Baoruco, Jaragua, Los Haitises, and Del Este national parks; it also persists in human-modified landscapes. Nevertheless, concerns remain about effects of ongoing habitat destruction and degradation, predation by invasive mammals, and synergistic effects of these threats (i.e. opening up of habitat allows increased access by invasive predators). Illegal forest clearing for charcoal production and agriculture is widespread across its distribution, including in protected areas. It is possible that dog predation, particularly predation by free-ranging village dogs, poses a significant threat, and camera-trap photos have also shown feral cats entering known den sites of Hispaniolan Solenodons. A remnant population of subspecies haitiensis in the Massif de la Hotte is extremely threatened and in danger of imminent extinction due to a combination of accelerating habitat destruction, opportunistic exploitation for food by subsistence farmers, and stochastic factors associated with population fragmentation and small population size. Dogs have reportedly been culled across the distribution of this threatened population because of their depredation of domestic chickens and goats, and this could be a significant factor in solenodon survival in the Massif de la Hotte. Genetic analyses indicate that subspecies haitiensis and wood: have extremely low effective population sizes. These genetically impoverished subpopulations might therefore have reduced viability and adaptive potential and, if so, might be particularly vulnerable to future environmental change.

Bibliography. Allen, G.M. (1910, 1942), Allen, J.A. (1908), Brandt et al. (2016), Bridges (1936), Derbridge et al. (2015), Eisenberg (1975), Eisenberg & Gould (1966), Mohr (1936a, 1936b, 1937 1938), Ottenwalder (1991, 1999, 2001), Pena (1977), Poduschka (1975), Rupp & Ledn (2009), Turvey, Ferndndez-Secades et al. (2014), Tur vey, Kennerley et al. (2017), Turvey, Meredith & Scofield (2008), Turvey, Peters et al. (2016), Verrill (1907), Wible (2008), Woods (1981), Woods & Ottenwalder (1992), Woods et al. (1985).

Figures

Subspecies and Distribution. S.p.paradoxusBrandt,1833—widelydistributedacrossN&EDominicanRepublic. S. p. haitiensis Turvey et al., 2016 — Massif de la Hotte, Haiti; only confirmed to occur E of Pic Macaya near Duchity, although might also occur W ofthis locality near Deux Mammelles. S. p. wood: Ottenwalder, 2001 — Sierra de Baoruco and Barahona Peninsula in S Dominican Republic and adjacent SE Haiti.