The venomous, goat-scented mammal that has survived for over 70 million years

Nature · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Found only on Cuba and Hispaniola, the solenodon is a rare, shrewlike mammal with a toxic bite. Despite its ancient lineage, this nocturnal creature remains a mystery, possessing a unique combination of primitive traits, including a musky odor and a specialized, grooved tooth system for delivering venom to its prey.

The solenodon belongs to the family Solenodontidae, a group of mammals that have remained virtually unchanged for tens of millions of years. Often described as island remnants of an ancient evolutionary diversification, these creatures are not closely related to modern shrews, despite their superficial resemblance. Fossil records suggest they are part of a lineage that diverged from other living mammals roughly 73 million years ago, placing their origins deep in the past.

Physically, the solenodon is a chunky, terrestrial animal weighing between 800 and 1,100 grams. It possesses a long, flexible snout equipped with whiskers, which it uses to probe leaf litter and soil for invertebrates. Its powerful front feet and sharp claws allow it to tear apart rotten tree trunks in search of food. Beyond its physical appearance, the animal is noted for skin glands that emit a distinct, goatlike odor, and a social structure that varies by species.

The most striking feature of the solenodon is its venomous saliva, which is injected into prey through grooves in its lower incisors. This adaptation allows it to hunt a variety of small animals, including land crabs, snails, frogs, and lizards. While they were once widespread, their populations have faced significant pressure from habitat loss and the introduction of non-native predators. Today, they remain one of the few venomous mammals on Earth, serving as a living window into the biology of ancient mammalian ancestors.

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