Leslie Whan, age 13, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, for her question:

What is a solenodon?

The solenodon is a rare animal and scientists suspect that he is on his way to extinction. The only two surviving species of the family Solenodontidae are ratty¬looking animals classed as insectivorous mammals. They are, however, unrelated to the ratty rodents and, unlike other insectivorous mammals, they have 40 sharp teeth. The head and body of a grown solenodon measures about twelve inches and he has about eight inches of bare, scaly tail. He has a long, tapering snout and rounded ears, and his body is covered with hard, coarse hair.

One species of solenodon is a native of Cuba, where he is known locally as the alamiqui. The other species makes his home in Haiti. The solenodons spend the day sleeping, usually well hidden among the rocks. At night they creep forth to forage for insects and other small animals. They themselves are hunted by cats and dogs and by mongooses brought from Asia. Their numbers are decreasing    they multiply slowly and many of the youngsters are devoured by predatory animals.