Rare venomous mammal caught on camera

by amyjudd | January 9, 2009 at 03:40 pm

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Very rare footage of one of the world's shyest mammals has been caught by scientists in the Caribbean for the first time.

The creature, known as the Hispaniolan solenodon, is large, with a long, thin snout and looks like a huge shrew. However as prey passes by it, it will inject venom into them through biting it.

Barely anything is known about this animal, as it is shy, as well as being at risk from deforestation, hunting and foreign species. Conservation efforts will be needed to keep it alive.

The animal in this film was found in the Dominican Republic in the summer; the only other country it is found 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.

Dr Richard Young, from Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, said: "My colleagues were excited and thrilled when they found it in the trap.

"But despite a month's worth of trapping effort, they only ever caught a single individual."