solenodon

American  

[suh-lee-nuh-don, -len-uh-] / səˈli nəˌdɒn, -ˈlɛn ə- /

noun

1. either of two insectivores of the genus Solenodon, resembling a large shrew and having small eyes, a long and pointy snout, and a scaly tail, including the coarse-haired, reddish-brown to grayish-black S. paradoxus of Hispaniola and the finer-haired, usually darker S. cubanus of Cuba: S. paradoxus is an endangered species; S. cubanus is rare and possibly endangered.

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solenodon British  

/ səˈlɛnədən /

noun

1. either of two rare shrewlike nocturnal mammals of the Caribbean, Atopogale cubana ( Cuban solenodon ) or Solenodon paradoxus ( Haitian solenodon ), having a long hairless tail and an elongated snout: family Solenodontidae, order Insectivora (insectivores)

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Etymology

Origin of solenodon

First recorded in 1830–40; from New Latin, from Greek sōlḗn “channel, pipe, syringe” + -odōn “-toothed”; see -odont

Example Sentences

The most primitive species was the venomous burrowing insect-eater Hispaniola solenodon, closely related to mammals alive during the dinosaur age.

From Reuters • Apr. 27, 2023

The researchers injected mice with solenodon venom and saw that indeed, while their pulse and breathing did not change, their blood pressure dropped precipitously as soon as the venom went in.

From New York Times • Dec. 1, 2019

Ros Kennerley, a solenodon researcher at the University of Reading, in England, was clambering around the karst when she noticed a toad just sitting there.

From The New Yorker • Jan. 7, 2015

Last year, after a 10-year search, an international team led by Rafael Borroto-Páez rediscovered the solenodon in a remote mountain park, a finding that thrilled scientists on both sides of the globe.

From Scientific American • Feb. 21, 2013

It is possible, too, that reference was made to the solenodon or almiqui, an animal long thought to be extinct but of which several specimens have recently been found in Santo Domingo.

From Santo Domingo A Country with a Future by Schoenrich, Otto