Alejandrito, the last Mohicano?

2003/09/24 Elhuyar Zientzia

• Zoologia

A group of scientists discover an insectivore supposedly disappeared in the territory of Holguin in eastern Cuba. The insectivore belongs to the species Solenodon cubanus, with the common name of almiqui. This photo is called Alejandrito. This animal was first described in 1861 by the German naturalist Wilham Peters. Since then they have only seen 37 such stems, the last four years ago and the last 31 years ago. However, more times fossils have been found.

The species of Alejandrito is endemic in Cuba. He has lived in the Cuban mountains, covered with abundant vegetation for centuries, but the degradation of the forests was accompanied by foreign species and bad conditions for Alejandro's relatives.

Almiquias are small insectivores — when Alejandrito himself caught 688 grams — they move mostly at night and have very little vision, but they have good hearing. They are believed to spend the day in underground holes. After weighing and being a prisoner to take samples of DNA, tissues and hairs, the scientists released Alejandrito again.