The long-eared gymnure (Otohylomys megalotis) is a eulipotyphlan that is found in Laos. This specific type of gymnure has long ears and a long skull compared to that of others.[2] It is also recognized for its broad forefeet, stout claws, and naked hindfeet.[1] While it was previously lumped in with the dwarf and short-tailed gymnures of the genus Hylomys, it is now placed in its own genus Otohylomys.[3]
The term Otohylomys is derived from "otos" (ear), "hylo" (wood) and "mys" (mouse).[3] The term megalotis is derived from the two Greek words "megas" and "otos," which means "large" and "ears", respectively.[4]
Taxonomic overview
Otohylomys megalotis is from the family Erinaceidae. Some special physical features of Erinaceidae are that they have rounded bodies, pointed noses, and short tails.[5] The members of Erinaceidae are considered to be omnivores,[6] and some of their foods are insects, frogs, mice, fruits, and roots.[5]
There are two subfamilies of Erinaceidae: Erinaceinae (hedgehogs) and Galericinae (gymnures).[4] Hedgehogs are nocturnals and have sharp, spiny fur on their backs.[5] Furthermore, hedgehogs are usually found in Africa, Europe, and Asia.[4] On the other hand, gymnures are diurnals and do not have spines.[5] Instead, gymnures usually have stiff, bristly furs, and they produce a pungent smell when they feel threatened.[5] Unlike hedgehogs, gymnures are usually found in South-East Asia and other tropical countries.[4]
Reproduction
The pregnancy lasts around six to seven weeks. They are born blind and hairless. However, the hedgehogs can start growing spiny hairs within 36-hours after birth. Only the mothers raise their young ones.[6]
Description
Otohylomys megalotis is a type of gymnure. Compared to other Hylomys species, O. megalotis has rounder, more prominent, and larger ears. Its soles and tarsals are naked, and it has long and moderately stout claws. The skull of O. megalotis is elongated, flattened, and moderately slender.[4]
Compared to the sizes of Hylomys, O. megalotis is medium in size. However, it has a longer tail. Its tail is about 75% of its head and body length. Instead of having flattened spinous hairs, it has grey, long, soft and fine furs. Unlike Hylomys species, O. megalotis has stronger and tougher teeth.[4]
Habitat and conservation
Otohylomys megalotis is primarily found in Khammouan Province, Laos, specifically in Khammouan Limestone National Biodiversity Conservation Area in Thakheck district.[1] It can also be found in the surroundings of Ban Muang and Ban Doy.[1] It is typically found in areas where there are massive limestone karst that is covered in large boulders, with heavily degraded mixture of deciduous forest, scrub, and bamboos.[4]
Currently, there is no known threat to this species.[1]
Related Research Articles
Gymnures, also called hairy hedgehogs or moonrats, are mammals belonging to the subfamily Galericinae, in the family Erinaceidae and the order Eulipotyphla. Gymnures resemble rats but are not closely related as they are not rodents; they are instead closely related to hedgehogs, which also belong to Erinaceidae. They are thought to have appeared in Eastern Asia before their closest relatives, and changed little from the original ancestor, which is thought to have been also the ancestor of the shrews.
Erinaceidae is a family in the order Eulipotyphla, consisting of the hedgehogs and moonrats. Until recently, it was assigned to the order Erinaceomorpha, which has been subsumed with the paraphyletic Soricomorpha into Eulipotyphla. Eulipotyphla has been shown to be monophyletic; Soricomorpha is paraphyletic because Soricidae shared a more recent common ancestor with Erinaceidae than with other soricomorphs.
Hylomys is a small genus of the family Erinaceidae. Hylomys species, like all species in the subfamily Galericinae, are known as gymnures or moonrats. Their closest relatives include the fossil Lantanotherium and Thaiagymnura and the living Neotetracus and Neohylomys. Members of this genus are found in Southeast Asia and Eastern Asia.
The Javan short-tailed gymnure is a small mammal from the family of the Erinaceidae. The scientific name of the species is first published by Salomon Müller in 1840. This species used to include the dorsalis, maxi, and peguensis subspecies, but these have now been elevated to species of their own: the Bornean short-tailed gymnure, Max's short-tailed gymnure, and the northern short-tailed gymnure.
Podogymnura truei, also known as the Mindanao gymnure, Mindanao moonrat, or Mindanao wood shrew, is a mammal of the family Erinaceidae. It is endemic to the Mindanao islands of the Philippines. Erinaceidae is a family of small mammals that include the gymnures, also known as the silky furred moonrats, and the hedgehogs. Animals belonging to this family are significant because they are among the oldest known placental mammals that are alive. Gymnures are relatives of hedgehogs but lack the prickly spines. Four species are categorized in the genus Podogymnura: P. aureospinula, P. intermedia, P. minima, and P. truei. All share a close resemblance to the moonrat Echinosorex gymnura, which is commonly found on the Borneo, Sumatra, and the Malay Peninsulas.
1 2 Bannikova, Anna A.; Lebedev, Vladimir S.; Abramov, Alexei V.; Rozhnov, Viatcheslav V. (January 3, 2014). "Contrasting Evolutionary History of Hedgehogs and Gymnures (Mammalia: Erinaceomorpha) as Inferred from a Multigene Study". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 112 (3): 499–519. doi:10.1111/bij.12299.
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