giant solenodon

The "giant solenodon" (Solenodon arredondoi) was an extinct species of large, shrew-like mammal that lived in Cuba. It is represented by fossil remains and may have been up to half a meter long and weighed around 2 kg. The giant solenodon, along with the Cuban solenodon (S. cubanus) and the Hispaniolan solenodon (S. paradoxus), are the only living species in the family Solenodontidae. These mammals are known for their toxic saliva, which they use to subdue prey, and their diet of invertebrates, small vertebrates, and eggs. The giant solenodon may have been one of the only large mammalian predators on Cuba before human settlement.1