Extinct Mammal found alive in Cuba

[Lisa]

From Yahoo news http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp..._quite_extinct

Creature Thought Extinct Found in Cuba
Tue Sep 23, 3:09 PM ET


HAVANA - A living example of an insectivore native to Cuba — but believed for years to extinct — has been found in the island's eastern mountains, a Cuban news agency reported.



The discovery of the male insect-eating mammal known as an almiqui (pronounced ahl-mee-KEE) raises hopes "that it will not wind up in the catalog of the irretrievable animals disappearing from the face of the Earth," Prensa Latina said in reporting the discovery.


The creature looks like a brownish woolly badger with a long, pink-tipped snout and can measure up to about 19 inches, according to Prensa Latina's Monday dispatch.


The nocturnal animal burrows underground during the daytime, explaining why it is rarely seen by people. After the sun goes down, it emerges to root out worms, larvae and insects.


Named "Alejandrito" by the farmer who found it, the living almiqui weighed 24 ounces and veterinarians declared the animal in perfect health.


"Alejandrito" was held in captivity for two days of study and medical tests, then marked and let free in the same general area it was found, Prensa Latina said.


The almiqui was described for the first time in 1861 by the German naturalist Wilham Peters, who wrote of the difference between the Cuban animal and a similar one found in neighboring Haiti.


Since, only 37 of the animals known by the scientific name Solenodon Cubanus have been captured, including "Alejandrito."


The last reported sightings of the creatures were in 1972 in the eastern province of Guantanamo, and 25 years later in 1999 in the eastern province of Holguin.

[CDN-Cresties]

Thats good news, you never know what will pop up. At one time they thought cresties where extinct until a rediscovery in 1994......thank god for that lol

-Steve-

[chas*e]

There is a time period "the 50 year rule" for extinct creatures...if there are no sighting of a creature for 50 yrs it is ruled extinct. I am glad that this time period hadn't passed for this little guy and his species. When a species are gone they are gone forever.....I do find it strange that it was released, but I guess that this was the right thing to do.

[paul vader]

I have to say, I saw a show on an Austrailian wild dog that was recently found ONLY in a jar, pickled. They now are trying to work with the DNA of it and possibly re-introduce it through a surrogate dog...i'm not sure of the details exactly, but it is a new (obviously) scientific way and hopefully (I stress) natural.....way of keeping evolution...real....I don't believe in cloning...and am always peased as punch when I hear of an animal that we've thought of as extinct ....showing up...

[enso]

Paul, thats a Tasmanian Tiger. A marsupial carnivore. It's one of my deepest wishes that someone finds a living specimen in the outback. There's been sightings but who knows. Anyway, chalk one up for the animals.
Yay!

[Lisa]

Originally posted by enso
Paul, thats a Tasmanian Tiger. A marsupial carnivore. It's one of my deepest wishes that someone finds a living specimen in the outback. There's been sightings but who knows. Anyway, chalk one up for the animals.
Yay!

Yeah there's been sightings, but there's been sightings of big foot too. I think we've lost this one for good as the problem with cloning them is the hormonal and nutrient wash is different in the closest living relitive to the tasmanian tiger.

[enso]

Yes, yes Lisa. There's also been sightings of The Red Man of China, The Yeti (both supposed to be counterparts of Big Foot in thier parts of the world), as well as Lock Ness, UFO's, Aliens themselves, and on and on. The fact is that this animal ACTUALLY existed and not that long ago. The last know specimen died in 1936 in a zoo, and it was declared extinct in 1986. I personally don't belive the sightings of ANY of these, but i find it more likely that people have seen this animal in the outback of Australia. Big country, few people. This is why i say "but who knows". Because no one really knows.

[Solid Snake]

thats good news! the creature looks neat too.

[TheRedDragon]

That's awesome! Such a cool looking animal; I'm glad it's not in fact extinct.