Madagascan pygmy shrew

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Madagascan pygmy shrew
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Eulipotyphla
Family: Soricidae
Genus: Suncus
Species:
S. madagascariensis
Binomial name
Suncus madagascariensis
(Coquerel, 1848)
Madagascan Pygmy Shrew area.png
Madagascan pygmy shrew range
Suncus madagascariensis range map.svg
Madagascan pygmy shrew range in Madagascar
Synonyms

Suncus etruscus (Savi, 1822)

The Madagascan pygmy shrew (Suncus madagascariensis) is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. [2] It is the only known Malagasy shrew. [1]

Contents

Taxonomy

Some taxonomists regard it as conspecific with the widely distributed Etruscan shrew, the smallest known mammal by mass, [1] [2] and likely to have been introduced to Madagascar from India or Southeast Asia by humans. [3] It is found in Madagascar and the Comoros, at altitudes from sea level to 1500 m. [1]

Distribution and habitat

It is thought to be more common in the less humid western and southern parts of Madagascar. [1] This shrew may also be present on Socotra. [2] The species is found primarily in forests.

Diet and behaviour

It is presumed to be solitary, nocturnal and insectivorous, like its relatives. [1] The litter size is one or two. [1] It is threatened by logging and other forms of deforestation. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Etruscan shrew</span> Species of mammal

The Etruscan shrew, also known as the Etruscan pygmy shrew or the white-toothed pygmy shrew, is the smallest known extant mammal by mass, weighing only about 1.8 g (0.063 oz) on average.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-toothed shrew</span> Subfamily of mammals

The white-toothed shrews or Crocidurinae are one of three subfamilies of the shrew family Soricidae.

<i>Suncus</i> Genus of mammals

Suncus is a genus of shrews in the family Soricidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West African pygmy shrew</span> Species of mammal

The West African pygmy shrew or obscure white-toothed shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

<i>Myosorex</i> Genus of mammals

Myosorex is a mammal genus in the Soricidae (shrew) family. The genus, collectively referred to as the mouse shrews, contains these species:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Lawrence Island shrew</span> Species of mammal

The Saint Lawrence Island shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found only on Alaska's St. Lawrence Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Cordillera small-footed shrew</span> Species of mammal

The Eastern Cordillera small-footed shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Colombia, where it is known from the western slopes of the central Cordillera Oriental at elevations from 1,300 to 2,715 m. It resembles C. colombiana. The species is only known from four individuals collected at two localities, the most recent record being from 1925.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colombian small-eared shrew</span> Species of mammal

The Colombian small-eared shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Colombia, where it is known from the Cordillera Central in Antioquia Department at elevations from 1,750 to 2,800 m. It is found in montane forest and cultivated areas. It resembles C. brachyonyx.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medellín small-eared shrew</span> Species of mammal

The Medellín small-eared shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Colombia, where it is known from the northern parts of the Cordillera Occidental and Cordillera Central at elevations from 2,500 to 2,800 m. The species is found in montane forest and cultivated areas, and is subject to predation from the crab-eating fox. The specific name refers to the city of Medellín.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peruvian small-eared shrew</span> Species of mammal

The Peruvian small-eared shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is known only from northern Peru, where it has been found in shrubby "elfin" cloud forest in the Andes at elevations from 2,050 to 3,150 m. The species may also be present in Ecuador. It has the southernmost range of any shrew in South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darién small-eared shrew</span> Species of mammal

The Darién small-eared shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is known only from montane regions along the border between Colombia and Darién Province, Panama, where it has been found in rainforest at elevations from 1400 to 1500 m. It has terrestrial habits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamá small-eared shrew</span> Species of mammal

The Tamá small-eared shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is known from the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia and the Páramo de Tamá of western Venezuela, where it has been found primarily in cloud forest at elevations between 2,380 and 3,330 m. Its range includes Venezuela's El Tamá National Park. The closest relatives of the species are C. meridensis and C. thomasi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guatemalan broad-clawed shrew</span> Species of mammal

The Guatemalan broad-clawed shrew is a species of small-eared shrew in the family Soricidae. It is known from Guatemala and the Mexican state of Chiapas, where it has been found in montane forests of oak, pine and fir, as well as secondary forest, at elevations above 2,100 m (6,900 ft). It feeds on insects. Deforestation and habitat fragmentation are major threats, particularly in Chiapas. It was formerly considered conspecific with C. goldmani.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yucatan small-eared shrew</span> Species of mammal

The Yucatan small-eared shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is mainly known from lowlands of Guatemala, Belize and Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, where it has been found in dry scrubland and tropical dry forest at elevations below 100 m. It is threatened by deforestation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valais shrew</span> Species of mammal

The Valais shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae.

The Oaxacan broad-clawed shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in Oaxaca in Mexico.

Phillips' small-eared shrew or Phillips' short-eared shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae found in Mexico.

The Hutu-Tutsi dwarf shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is known from a small portion of the mountains of tropical Africa.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Aulagnier, S.; Hutterer, R.; Jenkins, P.; Bukhnikashvili, A.; Kryštufek, B.; Kock, D. (2017). "Suncus etruscus". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . IUCN. 2017: e.T90389138A22288134. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T90389138A22288134.en . Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 Hutterer, R. (2005). "Order Soricomorpha". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 259. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  3. ↑ Omar, H.; Adamson, E.A.S.; Bhauur, S.; Goodman, S.M.; Soarimalala, V.; Hashim, R.; Ruedi, M. (2011). Phylogenetic relationships of Malayan and Malagasy pygmy shrews of the genus Suncus (Soricomorpha: Soricidae) inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences Archived 12 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine . The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 59(2): 237–243.


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