Dominican weevil
| Dominican weevil | ||||||||||||
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Dominican sand weevil ( Solenodon paradoxus ) |
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| Solenodon paradoxus | ||||||||||||
| Brandt , 1833 |
The Dominican or Haiti sand weevil ( Solenodon paradoxus ) is a species of mammal belonging to the order of the insect eater (Eulipotyphla). Together with the Cuban sand weevil , it forms the family of sand weevils (Solenodontidae). It is endemic and endangered on the island of Hispaniola .
features
Like all slot weevils, the Dominican slot weevil resembles a large, stocky shrew . It is characterized by the long, trunk-like nose that is hairless towards the tip and has lateral nostrils. Twelve very long whiskers of up to 7 cm in length protrude from the nose, there are also many shorter whiskers. There are more between the eye and the mouth and under the chin. The ears are small and rounded, but can clearly be seen from the fur. The eyes are small and not ciliated. The legs and tail are hairless. The front legs and their claws, which are perfect for digging, are particularly strong.
The color of the coat is very variable, but the most common is the following color: the top is gray-brown, becoming dark brown towards the top of the head; there is often a white spot on the neck; the underside is rust-colored. The total length is 49 to 71 cm (average 54 cm), of which 20 to 25 cm is on the tail.
distribution and habitat
The Dominican sand weevil is an endemic species on the island of Hispaniola . The majority of the distribution area is in the Dominican Republic. Only a very small part of the total population lives in Haiti and is there limited to a small area on the Tiburon Peninsula . The species is also found in northern Haiti, but only up to the Pleistocene .
The preferred habitat are dense and moist forests, but the sand weevil can also be found in bush-covered grasslands and near plantations. Vertically they can be found from sea level up to a height of 1000 meters, rarely up to 2000 meters.
Way of life
Weevils are nocturnal, but can occasionally be found in bright sunlight early in the morning. They are ground dwellers and sometimes lead an underground way of life. To sleep, they retreat into crevices in the rock, hollow tree trunks, holes in the ground or self-dug structures; sometimes they also create complex tunnel systems under the earth. They usually live in small groups, up to six animals share the same shelter; this is a pair of parents and their growing offspring. The slit-weevil does personal hygiene regularly, licking his tongue and scratching his hind paws.
Dominican slot weevils are omnivores , but they mainly feed on meat. Their diet consists of invertebrates such as bipeds , insects and earthworms , and they also eat lizards, birds, eggs and mice. To a lesser extent, they also consume fruits and other plant material. In search of food, the slit weevil moves its snout back and forth on the ground and digs up the ground with its front paws. The prey is picked up directly with the mouth, but large prey is previously divided with the claws.
The animals are ready to mate all year round. A litter consists of one to three boys. These are initially naked, the eyes are closed, and the weight is 40 to 55 grams. Body hair forms within fourteen days. The young animals stay with their parents for at least a few months; for the first few weeks they are carried around hanging on their teats. The lifespan in the wild is unknown; in captivity, Dominican sand weevils could reach an age of eleven years.
Threat and protection
Before humans arrived on their home island, the Dominican ridge weevil had few natural predators, including the Hispaniola boa, the styx owl, and the barn owl . Since domestic dogs , house cats and mongooses were introduced by the Europeans , stalking by these animals has been the greatest threat to the sand weevil. In addition, their habitat has been destroyed by conversion into agricultural land and settlement areas. In contrast to their Cuban relatives, the Dominican slot weevils were considered to be relatively common until the 1960s, before the populations of this species also began to decline dramatically. The situation in Haiti is precarious, only a small population inhabits the Tiburon Peninsula and must be regarded as critically endangered. The species has also become rare in the Dominican Republic, but there it is legally protected and can be found in almost all protected areas in the country. Since 1982 she is on the IUCN as endangered ( endangered ) listed.
Weeping weevils are no longer kept in Europe, former owners are Frankfurt, Halle, Wrocław, Leipzig, Antwerp and London.
Systematics and names
The Dominican sand weevil is one of two recent species of sand weevil and the only one found on the island of Hispaniola. A distinction is usually made between two subspecies:
- Solenodon paradoxus paradoxus , northern Dominican Republic
- Solenodon paradoxus woodi , southern Dominican Republic, Haiti
The southern subspecies is smaller than the northern. The Sierra de Neiba forms the geographical separation between the two subspecies .
In the Dominican Republic, the names jutia and zagouti are often used to denote the weevil , but also for the unrelated tree rats . In English and German these names are usually used for the zagutis , a genus of the tree rats, and not for the slit weevils.
literature
- Jonathan J. Derbridge & al .: Solenodon paradoxus (Soricomorpha: Solenodontidae). In: Mammalian Species . 2015, No. 47, pp. 100-106.
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
Web links
- Solenodon paradoxus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: Turvey, S. & Incháustegui, S., 2008. Accessed April 24, 2020th
- Information on Animal Diversity Web
- Film footage of a Dominican weevil at arkive.org, Gregory Guida, accessed May 3, 2016
- Haiti's little ghosts Article by Sven Stockrahm in: Zeit Online , January 13, 2009