Reproduction

The Hispaniolan solenodon and the human species do things a little differently when it comes to extending their families. We tend to set the mood, listen to music, and let things just happen. However, courtship in S. paradoxus occurs with scent-marking and mutual sniffing (don’t try this at home). Males seem to be able to breed at any point, but females seem to go in and out of heat with no particular pattern. The penis and testes are located within the abdominal cavity, except during mating. The mother typically gives birth to a litter of 1-3 young, weighing around up to 100g each, and can birth up to two litters within a year. The young are born in a burrow, constructed by the female, and nest there for protection.

 

 

A female Hispaniolan solenodon only has two teats, which are on the dorsal side near her buttocks. For the first couple months, the young go with the mother while she hunts for food, hanging onto her teats with their mouths. The young begin to eat solid food after about 13 weeks, up until then relying on breast milk. After about 75 days the young are weaned and rely solely on solid food for nutrition. It is thought that females reach sexual maturity around 2 years of age. The longest known life expectancy of S. paradoxus is a specimen that lived in captivity for a little over 11 years.

 

 

 

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