Overview
Mammal. This commensal and adaptable shrew is a rapid coloniser and a growing ecological threat , predating on or competing with many plant and animal species. Through human agency it has a large and expanding range and, so far, very little work has been done on how to effectively manage the species.
Common Names
Click on the language to view common names.
Common Names in English:
Asian House Shrew, Asian Musk Shrew, House Shrew, Indian Musk Shrew
Common Names in German:
Moschusspitzmaus
Common Names in Mauritian Creole:
Rat Musquee
Description
Physical Description
Species Suncus murinus
A highly variable species, the musk shrew varies widely in colour , size and weight . It is small, secretive and mouse-like with a long pointed nose. The fur is short and velvety , ranging in colour from light grey-brown to black and recorded adult weights vary between 23.5g to 82.0g in females and 33.2g to 147.3g in males (Ruedi et al. 1996). Musk shrews have very small eyes, thick, relatively hairless tails and make frequent shrill high pitched squeaks.
Habitat
This a robust and highly adaptable species. It does not have the high metabolism characteristic of european shrews and is therefore much less susceptible to environmental stresses. It is a successful commensal species, and this habit has undoubtedly assisted its geographic spread . The species poses a growing threat as, through human agency, its range continues to expand.
Biome: agricultural areas, disturbed areas, natural forest , urban areas
Ecology: Can reach high densities and impact upon a wide range of other species, including plants , invertebrates and vertebrates , either through predation or competition . Strongly implicated in the extirpation of several island lizard species (Jones 1993, Rodda and Fritts 1992, Fritts and Rodda 1998). Damages seeds and young plants by digging for food (pers. obs.).
Biology
Reproduction
This species has no behavioural oestrus cycle and follicular
development and ovulation are both induced by mating (Gill
and Rissman, 1997). The family
soricidae have retained a number of primitive features including a cloaca
and internal male testes
(Churchfield, 1990), which makes distinguishing the sexes difficult in some cases.Average litter size
varies geographically with recorded values ranging from 2.1 to 4.7 correlated with female body weight
, and number of offspring per litter
varies between 1 and 8 (Hasler et al., 1977; Nowak et al., 1983). Females reach sexual maturity at around 35 days (Hasler et al. 1977; Gill and Rissman, 1997)
Gestation period
of around 30 days, weaned at 15-20 days (Hasler et al., 1977; Gill and Rissman, 1997). Lifespan in captivity ranges
from 1.5 to 2.5 years (Dryden, 1969).
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Animalia
()
- Linnaeus, 1758
- animals
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
()
- (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983
- Branch:
Deuterostomia
()
- Grobben, 1908
- Infrakingdom:
Chordonia
()
- (Haeckel, 1874) Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Phylum:
Chordata
()
- Bateson, 1885
- Chordates
- Subphylum:
Vertebrata
()
- Cuvier, 1812
- Vertebrates
- Infraphylum:
Gnathostomata
()
- Auct.
- Jawed Vertebrates
- Superclass:
Tetrapoda
()
- Goodrich, 1930
- Class:
Mammalia
()
- C. Linnaeus, 1758
- Mammals
- Subclass:
Theriiformes
()
- (Rowe, 1988) M.c. Mckenna & S.k. Bell, 1997
- Infraclass:
Holotheria
()
- (Wible Et Al., 1995) M.c. Mckenna & S.k. Bell, 1997
- Superlegion:
Trechnotheria
()
- Mckenna, 1975
- Legion:
Cladotheria
()
- Mckenna, 1975
- Sublegion:
Zatheria
()
- Mckenna, 1975
- Infralegion:
Tribosphenida
()
- (Mckenna, 1975) M.c. Mckenna & S.k. Bell, 1997
- Supercohort:
Theria
()
- (Parker & Haswell, 1897) M.c. Mckenna & S.k. Bell, 1997
- Cohort:
Placentalia
()
- (Owen, 1837) M.c. Mckenna & S.k. Bell, 1997
- Magnorder:
Epitheria
()
- (Mckenna, 1975) M.c. Mckenna & S.k. Bell, 1997
- Superorder:
Preptotheria
()
- (Mckenna, 1975) Mckenna, in Stucky & Mckenna, in Benton, Ed., 1993
- Grandorder:
Lipotyphla
()
- (Haeckel, 1866) Mckenna, 1975
- Order:
Soricomorpha
()
- (Gregory, 1910) Mckenna, 1975
- Superfamily:
Soricoidea
()
- (Fischer De Waldheim, 1817) Gill, 1872
- Family:
Soricidae
()
- (Fischer De Waldheim, 1817) Gray, 1821
- Subfamily:
Crocidurinae
()
- Genus:
Suncus
()
- Ehrenberg in Hemprich and Ehrenberg, 1832
- Specific name:
murinus
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Scientific name: - Suncus murinus (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Specific name:
murinus
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Genus:
Suncus
(
- Subfamily:
Crocidurinae
(
- Family:
Soricidae
(
- Superfamily:
Soricoidea
(
- Order:
Soricomorpha
(
- Grandorder:
Lipotyphla
(
- Superorder:
Preptotheria
(
- Magnorder:
Epitheria
(
- Cohort:
Placentalia
(
- Supercohort:
Theria
(
- Infralegion:
Tribosphenida
(
- Sublegion:
Zatheria
(
- Legion:
Cladotheria
(
- Superlegion:
Trechnotheria
(
- Infraclass:
Holotheria
(
- Subclass:
Theriiformes
(
- Class:
Mammalia
(
- Superclass:
Tetrapoda
(
- Infraphylum:
Gnathostomata
(
- Subphylum:
Vertebrata
(
- Phylum:
Chordata
(
- Infrakingdom:
Chordonia
(
- Branch:
Deuterostomia
(
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
(
- Kingdom:
Animalia
(
Notes
Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 28-Nov-2006
Similar Species
Members of the genus Suncus
There are approximately 35 species in this genus:
S. aequatorius (Taita Shrew) · S. ater (Black Shrew) · S. dayi (Day's Shrew) · S. etruscus (White-Toothed Pygmy Shrew) · S. etruscus etruscus (Pygmy White-Toothed Shrew) · S. etruscus madagascariensis · S. etruscus nitidofulvus · S. fellowes-gordoni · S. fellowesgordoni (Sri Lankan Shrew) · S. hosei (Bornean Pgymy Shrew) · S. infinitesimus (Least Dwarf Shrew) · S. infinitissimus · S. lixus (Greater Dwarf Shrew) · S. luzoniensis · S. madagascariensis (Madagascan Pgymy Shrew) · S. malayanus (Malayan Pgymy Shrew) · S. megalura (Climbing Shrew) · S. mertensi (Flores Shrew) · S. montanus (Sri Lanka Highland Shrew) · S. murinus (Asian House Shrew) · S. murinus caerulescens · S. murinus murinus (Indian Musk Shrew) · S. murinus sindensis · S. murinus soccatus · S. murinus tytleri · S. murinus viridescens · S. ornagiae · S. remyi (Remy's Pygmy Shrew) · S. remyide (Remy's Shrew) · S. sacer · S. shungurensis · S. stoliczkanus (Anderson's Shrew) · S. varilla (Lesser Dwarf Shrew) · S. warreni · S. zeylanicus (Jungle Shrew)
More Info
- Search for Pictures: images.google.com
- Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
- Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Further Reading
- A Floral and faunal inventory of the eastern slopes of the Réserve naturelle intégrale d'Andringitra, Madagascar: with reference to elevational variation / Steven M. Goodman, editor. [Chicago, Ill.]: Field Museum of Natural History, c1996. ENG url p. 191, p. 216, p. 225.
- A floral and faunal inventory of the Réserve Naturelle Intégrale d'Andohahela, Madagascar: with reference to elevational variation / Steven M. Goodman, editor. [Chicago, Ill.]: Field Museum of Natural History, c1999. ENG url p. 211.
- A survey of the mammals of Afghanistan, resulting from the 1965 Street Expedition (excluding bats) [by] Jerry D. Hassinger. [Chicago]Field Museum of Natural History, 1973. ENG url p. 26, p. 28.
- A synopsis of the mammalian fauna of the Philippine Islands / Lawrence R. Heaney [et al.]. [Chicago, Ill.]: Field Museum of Natural History, c1998. ENG url p. 11.
- Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. Washington: Smithsonian Institution, -1965. ENG url p. 147, p. 272, p. 289.
- Banks, R. C., R. W. McDiarmid, A. L. Gardner, and W. C. Starnes 2003. Checklist of Vertebrates of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and Canada.
- Brigham Young University science bulletin. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University, [1955-1976] ENG url p. 207.
- Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). London: BM(NH) ENG url p. 355.
- Checklist of Palaearctic and Indian mammals 1758 to 1946 / by J.R. Ellerman and T.C.S. Morrison-Scott. London: BM(NH), 1966. ENG url p. 65, p. 65, p. 66, p. 67, p. 71.
- Entomological news. [Philadelphia]American Entomological Society, 1925- ENG url p. 232, p. 26, p. 32.
- General embryological information service. Utrecht, Hubrecht Laboratory. ENG url p. 101, p. 64, p. 67.
- Introduction to the mammal survey of the 1965 Street Expedition to Afghanistan [by] Jerry D. Hassinger. [Chicago]Field Museum of Natural History, 1968. ENG url p. 70.
- Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG).
- MSW (=Mammal Species of the World)
- Mammalian diversity on Mount Isarog: a threatened center of endemism on southern Luzon Island, Philippines / Lawrence R. Heaney [et al.]. [Chicago, Ill.]: Field Museum of Natural History, c1999. ENG url p. 17, p. 55, p. 56.
- Mammals of the Pacific world / [by] T.D. Carter, J.E. Hill [and] G.H.H. Tate. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1945. ENG url p. 40.
- Siphonaptera collected during the 1965 Street Expedition to Afghanistan [by] Robert E. Lewis. [Chicago]Field Museum of Natural History, 1973. ENG url p. 120.
- The Mammals and birds of Camiguin Island, Philippines, a distinctive center of biodiversity / Lawrence R. Heaney, editor. Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, 2006. ENG url p. 28, p. 30, p. 31, p. 45, p. 71.
- The contemporary land mammals of Egypt (including Sinai) / Dale J. Osborn, Ibrahim Helmy. [Chicago]: Field Museum of Natural History, 1980. ENG url p. 53, p. 81, p. iv.
- The distribution and ecology of mammals on Leyte, Biliran and Maripipi Islands, Philippines / Eric A. Rickart [et al.]. [Chicago, Ill.]: Field Museum of Natural History, c1993. ENG url p. 56.
- Wilson, D.E. and Reeder, D.M. (eds). 1993. Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington and London.
- Wilson, Don E., and DeeAnn M. Reeder, eds. 1993. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, 2nd ed., 3rd printing. Smithsonian Institution Press. Washington, DC, USA. xviii + 1207. ISBN: 1-56098-217-9.
- n Varnham.
Notes
Contributors
- Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed November 18, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 15 providers.
- Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. In IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCNRedList.org. Downloaded July 20, 2008.
Data Sources
Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 18, 2007:
- Field Museum, Mammal specimens
- Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Vertebrate specimens
- Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science, Mammal specimens
- Marine Science Institute, UCSB, Paleobiology Database
- Michigan State University Museum, Vertebrate specimens
- Museum of Texas Tech University
- , Mammal specimens
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Terrestrial vertebrate specimens
- OZCAM
- Provider, Online Zoological Collections of Australian Museums
- Royal Ontario Museum, Mammal specimens
- Senckenberg, Collection Mammalia
- University of Alaska Museum of the North, University of New Mexico Museum of Southwestern Biology Mammal Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
- , Mammal specimens
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2479638
- Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-179961
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13853280
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 179961
- IUCN ID: 41440
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 17576
