Sniffing out the solenodon

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jrhartley

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Sep 10, 2008
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no need for a grant - all they need to do is check dr1 , the solenodons are living with rees-in-va
 
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solenodon_joe

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May 31, 2010
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Hello everyone, I'm actually the person sniffing the solenodon in the cave! If anyone does know of where they think they have solenodons please do let me know. Cheers
 
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Lambada

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Mar 4, 2004
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solenodon_joe said:
Hello everyone, I'm actually the person sniffing the solenodon in the cave! If anyone does know of where they think they have solenodons please do let me know. Cheers
Click to expand...

Is that actually Dr. Jose Manuel Nunez-Mino? Great Scott, sir, how did you find this post? :)

Welcome to DR1! Are you actually another Brit? The accent is very convincing :cheeky:.

Come on all DR1'ers, let's help this good man with his interesting work.
 
C

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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solenodon_joe said:
Hello everyone, I'm actually the person sniffing the solenodon in the cave! If anyone does know of where they think they have solenodons please do let me know. Cheers
Click to expand...
Welcome to DR1!
I know that some have been seen in the east coast area: are you in touch with the PuntaCana foundation people? If not, send me a PM and I can put you in touch.
Are they really endangered? I heard that there could be lots more of them than people realise because they are so good at hiding that it's difficult to assess their numbers.
 
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solenodon_joe

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May 31, 2010
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Thanks for all the kind messages. In answer to your questions - yes I am a Brit. OK, spanish parents but born and bred in the UK.

We have been in touch and are working in Punta Cana with their fantastic ecological foundation. They definately have Hutia there and we are prettu sure solenodon too.

The question as to how threatened the solenodon is lies at the core of our work. It has definately dissapeared from some areas but is doing OK in others. We have only been on the job for 6 months so a lot more work to do.

Thanks again for all the support
 
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scot_tosh

scot_tosh

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May 21, 2010
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Fascinating animal. Let's hope the research team can establish what threats these animals face.
For an animal which has been around for possibly 76 million years and survived the catastrophic impact of the asteroid, not to far from here on the Yucatan Peninsula, that led to the demise of the dinosaurs. It would be a great tragedy if humans were responsible for the Solenodons demise given our short existance on the island.
Hopefully the researchers along with the government agencies can and will establish conservation protocols to ensure this unique species a continued presence on it's island home well into the future.
Good Luck.
 
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solenodon_joe

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May 31, 2010
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tjmurray said:
I could be wrong but I was almost certain they had a Solenodon at the National Zoo.
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They do have solenodon at the zoo although they are not currently on public display since they are both nocturnal and shy creatures. The national zoo is one of the partners involved in the Last Survivors project.
 
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George Holmes

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Keep up the good research:

I never heard anyone mention Solenodons out in the campo in Constanza province when I was out there last, but I think there are references to them being eaten by Tainos - there might be a reference by Cristobal Colon about eating one during one of his visits. I did hear that the solenodon/jutia species found in Cuba became a source of protein during the special period there (economic collapse in early 1990s).

Sorry, but I can't seem to find the references for those two points.
 
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solenodon_joe

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May 31, 2010
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There is good evidence to suggest that Hutia were eaten widely and there is one species of hutia in Cuba (Capromys pilorides - the only one not listed as threatened) that is still bred in captivity in order to eat it. Hutia were definately killed for food right here in the DR until relatively recently.

There have been solenodon bones found among Taino kitchen waste deposits but the evidence is inconclusive.

Just to add to the confusion, the word Hutia is often used here in the DR to refer to both solenodon and hutia!
 
R

RonS

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Oct 18, 2004
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Once again, the DR1 Forum has given voice to an important issue affecting the Dominican Republic and, in this case, the natural world. Thanks guys!
 
V

vlokje

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May 13, 2004
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I know a cave in Los Haitisis were he lives.Seen him once and see his traces all the time,
Vlokje
 
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