Solenodon arredondoi Morgan and Ottenwalder 1993

Solenodon arredondoi Morgan and Ottenwalder 1993, Ann. Carnegie Mus., 62: 154.

Type Locality: Cuba, La Habana Province, San Antonio de los Banos, 3 km SW Ceiba del Agua, Cueva Paredones.

Vernacular Names: Giant Solenodon.

Distribution: Known from three Quaternary sites in W Cuba (Morgan and Ottenwalder, 1993).

Conservation: Extinct.

Discussion: The age of the fossils of the giant solenodon is unclear, but faunal associations indicate a Quaternary age. The species occurred contemporarily wih Solenodon cubanus and Nesophontes micrus . Morgan and Ottenwalder (1993:161) suggested that, "habitat destruction and predation by dogs, which were introduced into Cuba by pre-Columbian peoples, are more likely explanations for the extinction of the giant Cuban Solenodon .".