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- ITSES - |
Eurasian Insectivores and Tree Shrews:
Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan
Published 1995
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GENUS DIPLOMESODON-
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A distinct, monospecific genus characterised by the presence of only two upper unicuspid teeth on each side and, more readily, by the uniquely pattered pelage.
Piebald shrew (Diplomesodon pulchellum)
Taxonomy: Diplomesodon pulchellum Lichtenstein 1823.
IUCN Category of Threat: Lower Risk (subcategory Least Concern).
Description: As its name suggests, one of the distinguishing features about this species is the striking pattern of coloration. Upper parts are greyish with an elongated oval patch of white in the middle of the back. The under parts, feet and tail are also white. All the hairs are grey at the base. The fur is soft and fine and the vibrissae are long and numerous, resembling the whiskers of desert-dwelling rodents more than the vibrissae of other shrews. The palm and digits of the forelimbs are fringed on both sides with long, stiff, elastic hairs which increase the surface area of the paws, providing better support on loose sand. As with most desert-dwelling species, the ears are quite large.
One of the most attractive and striking of the
Eurasian shrews the piebald shrew (Diplomesodon pulchellum) is adapted
to living in desert conditions. (Photo by Peter Vogel)
Distribution: The Piebald, or Turkestan desert shrew D. pulchellum is the only species within this genus, occurring in desert environments within Turkmenistan and southern Kazakhstan (Kirghiz Steppes). It is not found west of the Volga and is apparently confined to the plains of Semirechiva in the east.
Habitat: Piebald shrews inhabit several types of desert, preferring damp sands and apparently avoiding areas of shifting sand.
Ecology and behaviour: These shrews are active throughout the year, sometimes by day but mostly at night. They are usually solitary and frequently change their shelters, using crevices, stacks of dried forage and human dwellings. Piebald shrews are capable of digging in the sand, but probably do not dig their own burrows. In the Volga-Ural sandy areas this species occurs with Hemiechinus auritus and Crocidura suaveolens, which may offer some degree of feeding competition. Its diet consists mainly of lizards and insects. In sandy areas of the Volga-Ural region, the breeding season has been recorded from April to August, with an average of five young per litter. Females probably give birth more than once a season.
GENUS FEROCULUS -
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The genus Feroculus contains just a single species which is confined to montane forests of Sri Lanka. Almost nothing is known about this species in the wild.
Keiaart's long-clawed shrew (Feroculus feroculus)
Taxonomy: Feroculus feroculus Kelaart 1850. Closely related to the African Sylviosorex and to Suncus.
IUCN Category of Threat: Endangered (BI and 2c).
Description: Body length ranges from 106-118mm with a tail length of 56-73mm. One individual weighed 35g. The dorsal coloration is ashy black; underparts are a pale colour. Forefeet are nearly white, hindfeet fleshy grey. Tail is a dusky colour with a few whitish hairs at the tip. The fur is close, soft and short. The tail is covered by scanty and fine hairs with a few long, bristle-like hairs scattered along it. The fore feet are large, with long claws; the hind feet are smaller. Dental formula is i 3/2, c 1/0, pm 2/1, m 3/3 x 2 = 30, which differs from Solisorex pearsoni, which is also endemic to Sri Lanka.
Distribution: This single species is restricted to the island of Sri Lanka where it inhabits montane forest at elevations of approximately 1850 to 2150m. Fewer than 10 specimens have been recorded.
Habitat: Montane swamps and marshes around 2000m.
Ecology and behaviour: Very little is known about this species. Its discoverer, Kelaart, thought that it was a water shrew, but later investigators believed it to be a semi-fossorial species.
GENUS SOLISOREX
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The genus Solisorex contains just a single species, S. pearsoni which has only been recorded from the central highlands of Sri Lanka.
Pearson's long-clawed shrew (Solisorex pearsoni)
Taxonomy: Solisorex pearsoni Thomas 1924.
IUCN Category of Threat: Endangered (BI and 2c).
Description: This species is larger than F. feroculus, with a body length of 125-134mm, and tail length of 59-66mm. The fur is soft, close and fine, although not of the same velvet texture as observed in most shrews. The general colour is dark grey-brown with light tipped hairs that give the coat a glossy sheen. The ventral surface is slightly paler. The feet are brown with the forelimbs being enlarged and bearing exceptionally long claws.
The slender tail is closely haired and lacks the scattered long hairs which are present on F. feroculus. The ears are small and fully furred. Teeth are large and heavy and the anterior incisors are well developed. The dental formula of Solisorex is i 3/2, c 1/0, pm 1/1, m 3/3 x 2 = 28.
Distribution: The single species in this genus is apparently restricted in distribution to the central highlands of Sri Lanka at elevations of 1100-1850m.
Habitat: 'Virgin forest'.
Ecology and behaviour: The habits of this species are unknown.
GENUS SUNCUS
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This genus of 16 species is found in Africa, Madagascar, southern Europe and southern Asia eastward to the Philippine Islands and New Guinea. Eleven species are represented in Eurasia. Members of the genus differ widely in their habitat requirements. One species in particular, S. murinus, has become accustomed to living in and around human habitations and has been repeatedly and unintentionally introduced by man. This is certainly how they reached Guam where they now inhabit buildings, grassy areas and swamps.
The genus Suncus contains some of the largest of the true shrews. It also contains one of the smallest known mammals in the world-S. etruscus of the Mediterranean, North and West Africa and Asian regions. In general, members of the genus are solitary and intolerant of one another. Sounds are frequently associate with aggressive behaviour and a wide range of vocalisations have been described (Gould, 1969; Roberts, 1977). In China, S. murinus is known as the 'money shrew' because of a fancied resemblance between its rather constant, small chatter and the sound of jingling coins! (Walker, 1991).
Black shrew (Suncus ater) -
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Taxonomy: Suncus ater Medway 1965.
IUCN Category of Threat: Critically Endangered (Bl and 2c).
Description: In appearance, this species, measuring 75mm with a tail length of 57mm, is a dark blackish brown colour, with slightly paler underparts. The long tail bears scattered long, dark hairs at the base.
Distribution: The black shrew is known only from a single specimen trapped on Mount Kinabalu, Borneo (1700m).
Habitat: Montane forest.
Ecology and behaviour: Nothing is known about the ecology or status of this species.
Suncus dayi -
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Taxonomy: Suncus dayi Dobson 1888.
IUCN Category of Threat: Endangered (Bl and 2c).
Distribution: This species has only been recorded from Trichur and Cochin (Kerala State), southern India.
Pygmy white-toothed shrew (Suncus
etruscus) - Return to Top of
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Taxonomy: Suncus etruscus Savi 1822.
IUCN Category of Threat: Lower Risk (subcategory Least Concern).
Description: This species is one of the smallest known mammals alive today, weighing just 2.5 g and measuring some 35-50mm, with a tail length of 25-30mm. Dorsal coloration varies from light greyish-brown to dark brown. This species may also be distinguished by its especially short hind limbs.
The pygmy white-toothed shrew (Suncus etruscus) is the smallest mammal known. (Photo by Peter Vogel)
Distribution: S. etruscus has awide distribution: in Europe,
it is mainly confined to the Mediterranean lowlands, ranging from southern
Portugal to Greece and the Near and Middle East. It has also been reported
from the Atlantic coastline of France. Elsewhere in Europe, it inhabits
the islands of Crete, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Majorca and Corfu. In
Asia, it is found throughout India and the Himalayan foothills from Pakistan
through Nepal and Bhutan (Hutterer, 1979) to Yunnan (China), Myanmar, Thailand
and Malaya. It also occurs on Sri Lanka, as well as Borneo (if S. hosei
is conspecific). S. etruscus has also been recorded from North Africa
(ranging from Tunisia to Morocco), and may occur in Ethiopia and West Africa
(Northern Nigeria and Guinea).
A defensive posture adopted by two pygmy white-toothed shrews (Suncus etruscus) highlights the intolerance which most (Suncus etruscus) soricids display towards conspecifics. (Photo by Peter Vogel)
Habitat: This widespread species has been found in scrub, grasslands, and gardens, often found under stones and logs. In Asia it has been recorded from tall dipterocarp forest. It has been collected at an altitude of 1000m in Italy and 630m in France.
Ecology and behaviour: Little is known about the ecology of this
species in the wild, its size preventing many field studies. It is known
to be commensal and its wide distribution has almost certainly been assisted
by humans. Several investigations have been conducted under captive conditions
(see Fons, 1974, 1975). Suncus fellowsgordoni Taxonomy: Suncus
fellowsgordoni Phillips 1932. Formerly included in S. etruscus;
but see Hutterer (1993).
Suncus fellowsgordoni
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Taxonomy: Suncus fellowsgordoni Phillips 1932. Formerly included in Suncus etruscus; but see Hutterer (1993).
IUCN Category of Threat: Endangered (Bl and 2c).
Distribution: This species is known only from the central highlands of Sri Lanka.
Suncus hosei -
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Taxonomy: Suncus hosei Thomas 1893. Regarded as a subspecies of S. etruscus by Medway (1977) and Payne et al., (1985). Formerly included S. etruscus; but see Hutterer (1993).
IUCN Category of Threat: Vulnerable (Bl and 2c).
Description: Similar in external appearance to S. etruscus.
Distribution: Known from Sabah and northern Sarawak, Borneo.
Habitat: Dipterocarp forest.
Ecology and behaviour: No information is available on the behaviour of this species.
Suncus malayanus -
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Taxonomy: Suncus malayanus Kloss 1917. Formerly included in S. etruscus, but see Hutterer (1993).
IUCN Category of Threat: Data Deficient.
Distribution: Malayan Peninsula. The type specimen was collected at Bang Nari, Pattani, Peninsular Thailand.
Habitat: Tropical forest
Flores shrew (Suncus mertensi)
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Taxonomy: Suncus mertensi Kock 1974.
IUCN Category of Threat: Critically Endangered (Bl and 2c).
Description: A medium-sized, non-commensal species.
Distribution: This species has only been recorded on Flores Island, Indonesia; it is known only from the type specimen.
Suncus montanus -
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Taxonomy: Suncus montanus Kelaart 1850. One subspecies S. niger malabaricus has been tentatively proposed from India (Corbet, 1992).
IUCN Category of Threat: Vulnerable (Bl and 2c).
Distribution: Central and southern Sri Lanka; the Nilgiri and Palni Hills and perhaps other parts of southern India.
Habitat: Mostly montane but has been recorded as low as 150m in the rainforests of southern Sri Lanka. Rarely enters buildings.
House shrew (Suncus murinus)
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Taxonomy: Suncus murinus Linnaeus 1766.
IUCN Category of Threat: Lower Risk (subcategory Least Concern).
Description: The entire body and tail are a uniform midgrey to brownish-grey colour. The tail is thick, especially at the base, narrower at the tip, and is covered with a few long, bristle-like hairs that are thinly scattered. This species emits a strong odour of musk, derived from musk glands that are sometimes visible on each side of the body. Odour is especially noticeable during the breeding season. Usually found in or near houses.
Distribution: This species has an extremely wide distribution, ranging throughout the Oriental region. Much of this has taken place as a result of non-deliberate introductions by man. This species is also found throughout Iran and Arabia to Egypt, in eastern Africa, Madagascar and other islands in the Indian Ocean (Réunion, Comoros) and Pacific Ocean (Guam, etc.) and in southern Japan. It may also be present in New Guinea.
Habitat: This species has been recorded up to 2825m near Darjeeling, West Bengal, but only to 300m in Taiwan (Jameson and Jones, 1977).
Ecology and behaviour: The house shrew is a commensal species, usually found near human habitation, rice fields and grain warehouses. Although almost universally disliked, this species is beneficial to man because its diet consists mostly of harmful insects. House shrews breed throughout the year with each female averaging two litters per year. Litter size is 1-5, usually three.
Anderson's shrew (Suncus
stoliczkanus) - Return to
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Taxonomy: Suncus stoliczkanus Anderson 1877.
IUCN Category of Threat: Lower Risk (subcategory Least Concern).
Description: A medium-sized shrew characterised by comparatively large ears and a pale grey coloration. The tail measures about 50-70% of body length. Yellow fur around throat or pectoral region is not always evident.
Distribution: A widespread species represented in Pakistan, Nepal, India and Bangladesh.
Habitat: Gardens and grassy embankments near water courses (Sind and Punjab regions, India) and under piles of brush wood in forest plantations (Punjab) as well as the base of stone walls in Kathiawar (Roberts, 1977); also desert and and country (Hutterer, 1993).
Ecology and behaviour: As far as is known, this shrew is largely nocturnal and solitary in habits. Breeding may extend throughout the year.
Suncus zeylanicus
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Taxonomy: Suncus zeylanicus Phillips 1928.
IUCN Category of Threat: Endangered (Bl and 2c).
Distribution: Central and southern Sri Lanka in moist forest; between 150 and 1000m in Sabaragamuwa and 1872. A number of subspecies have been proposed but it Central Provinces.
Habitat: Primary forest.