Rare Venomous Shrew

Hispaniolan solenodon found during an expedition in 2008 to the Dominican Republic (image from BBC)

The Hispaniolan solenodon, a large venomous shrew, was recently sited and filmed by researchers on a month-long expedition to the Dominican Republic.  These rare and unique creatures are only found in the Dominican Republic and Haiti and are frequently the victims of deforestation, hunting and non-native species.  Very little is known about the animal's ecology, behavior and population status.  Conservationists are working relentlessly to learn more about the Hispaniolan solenodon and create a conservation plan for this species before it is too late.

To see footage click here!

Eco-Kid Spotlight

Arjay McCandless

To a 7 year-old, birthdays take a “google-times-infinity” to come and when they finally do, your typical 7 year-old will ask for a mountain of gifts that reaches the sky, or that one toy they have been dreaming about every night. But Arjay McCandless is no typical 7 year-old. Like most young boys he relishes in playing outside searching for long-legged spiders, cool snakes and basking lizards, but what makes Arjay special is his fervent altruism for the safety of his beloved creatures. When Arjay’s long awaited seventh birthday finally came he asked his friends and family not to bring gifts to his party, but instead donations for SaveNature.Org’s Adopt An Acre® program in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. His very generous party guests donated a total of $175 and Arjay as well as his 9 year-old sister each put in $10 of their hard earned money. An ecstatic Arjay was able to save one and a half acres of rainforest in Costa Rica and ultimately all of the endearing animals that he cares for so much.

If you would like to be featured as SaveNature.Org’s Eco-Kid Spotlight for February 2009 send your environmental story to sharyl@savenature.org.

Cool Camouflage Creatures

Dead leaf katydid from Costa Rica (conservationreport.com)

Have you heard of the leaf mimicking katydids that live in Costa Rica? Their entire body is shaped like a leaf and some are so well adapted that they even have rough edges on their wings and spots resembling a decaying leaf. Check out some awesome pictures of camouflaged animals from around the world.