Rare Venomous Mammal Filmed

Smivs writes "The BBC are reporting that footage of one of the world's most strange and elusive mammals has been captured by scientists. Large, and with a long, thin snout, the Hispaniolan solenodon resembles an overgrown shrew. It can inject passing prey with a venom-loaded bite. Dr Sam Turvey, a ZSL (Zoological Society of London) researcher involved with the program, told BBC News: 'It is an amazing creature — it is one of the most evolutionary distinct mammals in the world.' Along with the other species of solenodon, which is found in Cuba (Solenodon cubanus), it is the only living mammal that can actually inject venom into their prey through specialized teeth. Little is known about the creature, which is found in the Caribbean, but it is under threat from deforestation, hunting and introduced species. Researchers say conservation efforts are now needed. The mammal was filmed in the summer of 2008 during a month-long expedition to the Dominican Republic — one of only two countries where this nocturnal, insect-eating animal (Solenodon paradoxus) can be found (the other is Haiti). The researchers from the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Ornithological Society of Hispaniola were able to take measurements and DNA from the creature before it was released."

Of course, it's endangered

[Muad'Dave]

...it is under threat from deforestation, hunting and introduced species.

They have no clue how many of these things there are, (other than there is more than one but fewer than enough to pave the whole island), but if course they're automatically "endangered" or "under threat" or whatever.

Re:Of course, it's endangered

[damn_registrars]

They have no clue how many of these things there are, (other than there is more than one but fewer than enough to pave the whole island), but if course they're automatically "endangered" or "under threat" or whatever

Hispaniola is not a very large island in terms of area. Considering this critter doesn't seem to be running through the cities, and the cities are expanding, it doesn't seem to be a very large leap to declare it endangered.

Re:Wow

[Talderas]

The mammal was filmed in the summer of 2008 during a month-long expedition to the Dominican Republic â" one of only two countries where this nocturnal, insect-eating animal (Solenodon paradoxus) can be found (the other is Haiti).

I'd be a little perplexed if Haiti didn't have the animal in it, IT SHARES THE SAME GOD DAMN ISLAND with the Dominican Republic.

Re:Wow

[Thiez]

Can it even kill us? I couldn't find any information about how dangerous the venom was. Even if a bite could kill a human, that wouldn't make these creatures more dangerous that many types of insects, spiders, and snakes, and these poor critters are extremely rare and both variants of solenodons live on islands.

Anyway, you can kill people too and you as an individual are (obviously) not needed in the food chain, nor is your family. If I were you I'd hope others hold life in a higher regard than you do.

Re:Wow

[Shakrai]

I'd be a little perplexed if Haiti didn't have the animal in it, IT SHARES THE SAME GOD DAMN ISLAND with the Dominican Republic.

Yeah, but if they had said it was native to Hispaniola most of us Americans wouldn't have a clue what they were talking about ;)

Re:Wow

[Skim123]

Anyway, you can kill people too and you as an individual are (obviously) not needed in the food chain, nor is your family. If I were you I'd hope others hold life in a higher regard than you do.

While I'm not in favor of wanton destruction of animal life, and conservation is a goal we should strive toward, but your analogy is specious. A human life is superior to an animal's life.

And if you disagree, you best think twice before you swat a fly, eat a hamburger, or enjoy produce or goods that were harvested, in part, by the forced labor of animals.

Re:Wow

[UncleTogie]

Let me start out by saying that I'm playing devil's advocate here. I wear leather and love a good steak.

Depends who you ask. I content we are because we are capable of intelligent thought and self-awareness.

Dolphins, elephants, and other animals have demonstrated the same. While it may be at a lower level, it may not be that far off in OUR evolutionary history, either. Do they count?

More religious folk might tell you it's because God created us in his image and made the animals for our service.

If you read those biblical passages closely, you might notice that we were called to have dominion [bibledatabase.net] over the animal kingdom. Can't have dominion over something if you've hunted it into nonexistance.

It would be hard for one who has the moral conviction that human life is not superior to animal life to live a morally consistent life. How could they justify eating meat, that would be tantamount to eating a fellow human's flesh.

While it may not be superior, it wouldn't be inferior, either. I'd point at Native Americans for a good example of respect for nature, while not starving.

Just another point of view to ponder...

I love how...

[Slash.Poop]

Rare footage of one of the world's most strange and elusive mammals has been captured by scientists.

Implies that they somehow, by accident, captured it on video somewhere deep in a jungle. You watch the video and NOPE. It is confinement with handlers. How is that rare footage?

Re:Wow

[Anonymous Coward]

I wouldn't be so worried about eating another human's flesh. I would rather eat a non-human's flesh, but, cherishing the nutrition providing by the body of one of my brethren is still laudable (see Stranger in a Strange Land). If an animal was hungry and ate me, I wouldn't be particularly upset. I would think, "This really sucks, there are still things I wanted to do in my life," but I would *not* think, "This is despicable! This is a lower life form DESECRATING a holy man created in God's own image!"

I'll eat hamburgers, but if a lion tried to eat me, I would defend myself as any hunted animal does. If I succeeded, I would be grateful. If I failed, I would not blame the lion for being hungry and getting food.

If I hit an animal while driving, I *do* feel bad. If at all possible, I stop, and see if the animal is okay. If it might not be okay, I take any action I can. If an animal trampled me inadvertently, then I, similarly, would not be much upset. If I can't stop nearby, I still find a safe place to stop and make a phone call to the police, department of transportation, or an animal hospital or rescue society, which are obviously very similar to what I would do if I had hit a human and could not safely stop nearby.

As for slave labor, many, many species toil for the sake of another (ofter inadvertently, but sometimes for symbiosis). I feel really bad about man abusing animals, and I think that if a man needs the help of an animal, he should go far, far out of his way to recompensate the animal (treating it with respect, taking care of all of its needs, etc).

Maybe I'm different than most?

-os

IANAE

[DaFallus]

I was trying to figure out why this thing would need to use poison when TFA only mentions a diet of insects. According to Wikipedia [wikipedia.org] the "diet of solenodons consists largely of insects, earthworms, and other invertebrates, but they also eat vertebrate carrion, and perhaps even some living vertebrate prey such as small reptiles or amphibians"

Re:Wow

[Anonymous Coward]

Sure, same island. Of course, Haiti has essentially no trees...

Re:Wow

[theodicey]

I'd be a little perplexed if Haiti didn't have the animal in it, IT SHARES THE SAME GOD DAMN ISLAND with the Dominican Republic.

Well, I wouldn't be surprised if it were completely extinct in Haiti but hanging on in the Dominican Republic, considering the stark difference in the condition of the native forests [nasa.gov].