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Solenodon Paradoxus (Soricomorpha: Solenodontidae)

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Solenodon Paradoxus (Soricomorpha: Solenodontidae) MAMMALIAN SPECIES 47(927):100–106 Solenodon paradoxus (Soricomorpha: Solenodontidae) JONATHAN J. DERBRIDGE, ERIN E. POSTHUMUS, HSIANG LING CHEN, AND JOHN L. KOPROWSKI School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, 325 Biological Sciences East, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; derbridge@ email.arizona.edu (JJD); [email protected] (EEP); [email protected] (HLC); [email protected] (JLK) Abstract: Solenodon paradoxus Brandt, 1833, is a large lipotyphlan insectivore commonly called the Hispaniolan solenodon. S. paradoxus is 1 of 2 extant species in the genus Solenodon, and 2 subspecies are recognized. The species is one of few venom- ous mammals with venom delivery through a channel in a modified lower incisor. Current distribution is limited to the Dominican Republic and southern Haiti. S. paradoxus is listed as “Endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources; threats to conservation include habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation, predation by exotic carnivores, and persecution from farmers. Key words: endangered species, Hispaniola, Hispaniolan solenodon, insectivore, lipotyphlan insectivore, venomous mammal Downloaded from © 2015 by American Society of Mammalogists Synonymy completed 1 September 2015 DOI:10.1093/mspecisev010 Nomenclatural statement.—A life science identifier (LSID) http://mspecies.oxfordjournals.org/ number was obtained for this publication: urn:lsid:zoobank.org: pub:40C577A7-A161-4073-AA9F-B12E5182FF6B www.mammalogy.org Solenodon paradoxus BRANDT, 1833 and Cuban solenodons 25 million years ago (Roca et al. 2004). Nomenclatural uncertainties surround this species that has histori- Hispaniolan Solenodon by guest on January 26, 2016 cally been placed in the unresolved Insectivora. Members of this Solenodon paradoxus Brandt, 1833. Type locality “Hispaniola”; order have been provisionally divided into 6 orders, but currently restricted to Port-au-Prince, Haiti by Baranova et al. (1981:4; no consistent phylogeny exists at this taxonomic level (Hutterer see “Nomenclatural Notes”). 2005). The name Solenodon comes from the Greek solenos mean- CONTEXT AND CONTENT. Order Soricomorpha, family ing channel or pipe, and odontos meaning tooth, referring to the Solenodontidae. Solenodon paradoxus is 1 of 4 species in the deeply grooved 2nd lower incisor. The specific name is derived genus Solenodon with S. cubanus, S. marcanoi (recently extinct), from the Greek paradoxos meaning contrary to all expectation and S. arredondoi (recently extinct). Two subspecies of S. para- (Woods and Ottenwalder 1992). The species is often locally known doxus are recognized (Ottenwalder 2001): S. p. paradoxus (Brandt, 1833:459). See above. S. p. woodi Ottenwalder, 2001:299. Type locality “Bucan de Tui, S. Oviedo, Peninsula de Barahona, Provincia Pedernales, Dominican Republic.” NOMENCLATURAL NOTES. Our taxonomy followed Hutterer (2005); however, much doubt remains about the original type locality of the type species. Baranova et al. (1981) restricted the type local- ity to Port-au-Prince although Solenodon paradoxus likely never occurred there (J. A. Ottenwalder, pers. comm.). The name Haiti was used in reference to the entire island of Hispaniola in some earlier works (Peters 1863; Allen 1908), possibly explaining the later restriction to Port-au-Prince. Although most authors main- tain Solenodon as the sole genus, a separate genus for the Cuban Fig. 1.—An adult male Solenodon paradoxus at Mencia, Pedernales solenodons, Atopogale, originally proposed by Cabrera (1925), is Region, southwest Dominican Republic. Used with permission of the supported by genetic evidence of divergence between Hispaniolan photographer J. Nuñez-Miño. 100 47(927)—Solenodon paradoxus MAMMALIAN SPECIES 101 as jutia or zagouti (Woods 1981; Turvey et al. 2014); these names are also used in Haiti and the Dominican Republic to refer to the native capromyid rodent, Plagiodontia aedium (Hispaniola hutia), and the rhinoceros iguana, Cyclura cornuta, in Haiti (Woods and Ottenwalder 1992). Many other local names have historically been recorded for S. paradoxus in the Dominican Republic, including orso, milqui, homigero, juron, and ground hog (Verrill 1907). In the Departemente of Grande-Anse in Haiti, the name pointe nez is used (Woods 1976), and S. paradoxus is known to local people in the Duchity region of the Massif de la Hotte by a variety of names including nez longe, nen long, bouche long, zagouti bouche long, cochon dinjue nen long, all referring to S. paradoxus’ elongated snout (Turvey et al. 2008). DIAGNOSIS Downloaded from Solenodon paradoxus (Fig. 1) is the only extant member of the genus found on Hispaniola (i.e., Haiti and Dominican Republic) and can be distinguished from the only other extant member of the genus, the Cuban solenodon S. cubanus http://mspecies.oxfordjournals.org/ (endemic to Cuba) by the presence of a diastema between I3 and C1, smaller diastemas between I2–3 and C1–P1, absence of accessory cusps on C1, P1, and P2 (Fig. 2), and presence of an os proboscis (Ottenwalder 2001). A bony subquadrate plate that supports the proboscis in S. paradoxus is absent in S. cuba- nus (Allen 1908). S. paradoxus has 1 more thoracic vertebra, 1 less sacral, and 1 less caudal vertebra than in S. cubanus (Allen 1910). Solenodon paradoxus (mean total length = 539 mm, n = 49) is larger than S. cubanus (mean total length = 444 mm, by guest on January 26, 2016 n = 10—Ottenwalder 2001). Solenodon cubanus has short and less robust foreclaws, and its pelage is shorter, less dense, and less wooly; nose, face, and feet are sparsely furred (Allen 1908). In Fig. 2.—Dorsal, ventral, and lateral views of skull and lateral views both species, the head is lighter colored than the dorsal pelage, but of right and left mandible, respectively, of an adult female Solenodon the distinction is pronounced in S. cubanus where the head, neck, paradoxus (Smithsonian Institution United States National Museum shoulders, and throat are an abruptly contrasting yellowish-white 217255) from near La Vega, Dominican Republic. The channel for the (Allen 1908). transport of venom is evident in i2 in the lower panel. Greatest length The subspecies, S. p. woodi, is smaller overall than S. p. par- of skull is 86.6 mm. adoxus. Ranges (mm) of select cranial characters and bones of S. p. paradoxus specimens from central, northeastern, and eastern GENERAL CHARACTERS Dominican Republic and S. p. woodi specimens from southwestern Dominican Republic and southwestern Haiti were: greatest length Solenodon paradoxus is a large lipotyphlan insectivore of skull, 80.9–91.5 (n = 75) versus 72.3–82.5 (n = 37); condylo- (ca. 800 g, n = 10—Ottenwalder 1999) with a body form basal length, 75.5–86.6 (n = 73) versus 67.1–79.4 (n = 37); palatal suggesting a large shrew (Ottenwalder 2001). S. paradoxus length, 34.8–40.4 (n = 75) versus 30.8–37.0 (n = 41); length of shows no sexual dimorphism (Ottenwalder 2001). Means maxillary toothrow, 23.6–27.6 (n = 74) versus 21.6–25.7 (n = 43); (mm; parenthetical ranges and sample sizes) for external mea- maximum width of M3, 5.2–7.7 (n = 75) versus 4.4–7.2 (n = 41); surements of S. paradoxus from central Dominican Republic greatest mandible length, 50.9–58.1 (n = 78) versus 45.2–52.6 were: total length, 539 (485–715, n = 49); tail length, 225.5 (n = 43); length of mandibular toothrow, 23.3–28.9 (n = 78) versus (196–254, n = 48); hind foot length, 64.1 (56–72, n = 37); and 23.5–27.4 (n = 44); alveolar length of p4-m3, 14.9–18.5 (n = 76) ear length, 28.7 (21–38, n = 37—Ottenwalder 2001). Cranial versus 14.6–17.3 (n = 44); angular condylar height, 12.2–17.1 measurements and select measurements of major bones (mm; (n = 78) versus 11.9–15.1 (n = 44); maximum length of p4, 3.7– ranges) from these and specimens from northeastern, eastern, 4.9 (n = 75) versus 3.5–4.9 (n = 43); maximum width of femur, southwestern Dominican Republic, and southwestern Haiti 12.3–14.6 (n = 44) versus 11.4–13.4 (n = 42); and total length of were: greatest length of skull, 72.3–91.9 (n = 112); condylo- humerus, 43.9–50.7 (n = 43) versus 40.6–46.8 (n = 37). basal length, 67.1–86.6 (n = 110); palatal length, 30.8–40.4 102 MAMMALIAN SPECIES 47(927)—Solenodon paradoxus (n = 116); interorbital constriction, 13.6–16.5 (n = 118); zygo- matic breadth, 30.1–39.0 (n = 100); mastoid breadth, 22.6– 28.4 (n = 112); greatest mandible length, 45.2–58.1 (n = 121); length of mandibular toothrow, 23.3–28.9 (n = 122); length of maxillary toothrow, 21.6–27.6 (n = 117); and depth through coronoid process, 20.6–26.2 (n = 119); total length of femur, 41.0–50.4 (n = 84); maximum width of femur 11.4–14.6 (n = 86); minimum shaft width of femur, 4.3–6.4 (n = 87); total length of humerus, 40.6–50.7 (n = 80); maximum width of humerus, 15.8–18.8 (n = 84); minimum shaft width of humerus, 4.3–5.8 (n = 83); total length of ulna, 40.6–58.0 (n = 60); maximum width of ulna, 5.9–7.6 (n = 60); minimum shaft width of ulna, 1.5–2.5 (n = 60—Ottenwalder 2001). The long, bare-tipped snout extends beyond the nasal bones, with nostrils opening laterally and a dozen large vibrissae mea- suring up to 70 mm, as well as shorter, coarser hair on the sides Downloaded from of the snout serving a tactile purpose (Allen 1908; Ottenwalder 2001). An additional 1–3 vibrissae are located between the eye and mouth and on the midline of the chin below the angle of the mouth (Woods and Ottenwalder 1992). The ears are blu- Fig. 3.—Geographic distribution (indicated by red stippling) of Solenodon paradoxus.
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